Alcoholism

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will commission an inquiry into the effects of alcoholism on children and families and to explore possible solutions.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government is aware that the quality of a parent-child relationship has a significant impact on the child's health and well-being. With this in mind, through the new provisions of the Children Act 2004 and 'Every Child Matters' Change for Children programme, we are building a much stronger statutory and multi-agency framework that will strengthen services for all children in need and in need of protection, including those affected by alcoholism.
	The effects of alcoholism are well understood and the Government is committed to working with local frontline services to support children and families affected.

A-levels

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the planned harder questions at A level for advanced students will be (a) sat as separate exams and  (b) included as additional questions on examination papers sat by all students.

Jim Knight: We received advice from QCA on A level stretch and challenge last year and in January, Ministers agreed they trial three options: a separate section at the end of A level papers; a separate paper; incorporate harder questions into all A2 papers and add to grading scale. QCA will begin to trial/model these options from the autumn through to February 2007.
	The changes to A levels will build upon the strengths of the existing qualifications in order to increase stretch and challenge, to provide greater differentiation in order to help universities choose between candidates with similar results.

BECTA

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the work of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency.

Phil Hope: holding answer 28 June 2006
	In line with Government practice that some non departmental public bodies (NDPBs) were reviewed every five years, the Department conducted an overall assessment of the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (Becta) which was published in March 2003. Copies of the report are lodged in the House of Commons Library.
	Becta's work is assessed through the governanceand programme management arrangements that the Department has in place, which includes:
	representation as an assessor on Becta's Board by the Department's Technology Group Director;
	regular business reviews of Becta's delivery against the Department's priorities.

BECTA

Phil Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to replace the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency inclusion team with a new support team for special educational needs; and if he will make a statement.

Phil Hope: The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) is a non-departmental public body responsible for ensuring the successful delivery of my e-strategy priorities in education and children's services—which includes support for all learners including thosewith special educational needs. BECTA's internal organisational structures are a matter for the organisation.

Building Schools for the Future

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what guidelines he has issued to the local authorities asked to participate in the Building Schools for the Future programme on the renovation of sports facilities;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has held with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on the renovation of school sports facilities; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  whether schools which have received grants under the New Opportunities Fund for Physical Education and Sport are eligible for funding from the Building Schools for the Future programme; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: holding answer 22 June 2006
	The Building Schools for the Future programme adopts an area approach to transforming secondary provision. For each phase of the programme, local authorities are required to develop an educational vision in line with our guidance, which takes into account a range of policy areas, including PE and sport facilities, and community use. Our Building Schools for the Future guidance to local authorities covers the preparation of educational visions, joining-up all potential sources of funding and the design of school buildings and facilities. All of our guidance documents make clear that schools and local authorities should consider the extent to which any proposed new or refurbished facilities will enable all pupils to take part in at least two hours each week of high quality PE and sport, and if they want to, up to four hours including out of normal school hours. Authorities' plans are subject to rigorous challenge before projects can proceed to procurement.
	Ministers from this Department meet regularly with our Culture Media and Sport counterparts to discuss our joint schools' PE and sports strategy, including curriculum matters and the community use of facilities.
	Schools which have received investment through other sources of funding such as the Big Lottery Fund (formerly the New Opportunities Fund) are still eligible for Building Schools for the Future investment. We encourage local authorities and schools in Building Schools for the Future to seek other sources of funding to join-up with their projects. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Big Lottery Fund contribute to our guidance, which also seeks to ensure that investment from various sources remain complementary.

Child Care

Paul Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research into the child care market his Department has commissioned in the past 12 months; what research reports have been published; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: holding answer 26 June 2006
	The Department is highly committed to furthering our understanding of the child care market to enable the effective development and implementation of policy in this area.
	To help achieve this the Department has commissioned a number of studies in this area in the past 12 months. These are:
	2006-08 Survey of Childcare and Early Years Providers;
	Evaluation of the London Childcare Affordability Pilot;
	The Childcare Market.
	The Department has also published the following research reports in this area:
	A Longitudinal Study of Local Childcare Markets(June 2005);
	Childcare and Early Years Provision: A Study of Parents' Use, Views and Experiences (March 2006);
	2005 Childcare and Early Years Providers Survey (May 2006).
	These reports are available on the DfES website at http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/

Construction-related NVQs

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many women began construction related NVQs at  (a) Level 1,  (b) Level 2,  (c) Level 3 and  (d) Technical Level in (i) England and (ii) Merseyside in each year since 2001-02, broken down by age; and how many completed those courses.

Phil Hope: 40 per cent. of apprentices are female but we recognise there are some major imbalances in different occupations. One of the ways we are addressing this is working with the Equal Opportunities Commission, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and sector bodies to improve information, broaden choice and explore more flexible Apprenticeship learning opportunities. These include new entry arrangements into Apprenticeships to help young people develop skills before they find an employer. We are also trialling Apprenticeships for more mature workers.
	The LSC maintain a website detailing starts, leavers and completions of individual frameworks http://www.apprenticeships.org.uk/partners/frameworks/apprenticeshipsdata/ However, published figures are not broken down to the level of detail requested. For this reason Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, has written to the hon. Member with this information and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Libraries.
	 Letter from Rob Wye, dated 28 June 2006:
	I am responding on behalf of Mark Haysom, due to him currently being on annual leave, to your Parliamentary Question that asked the number of completed Heavy Vehicle Fitter Apprenticeships in England and Greater Merseyside, broken down by gender in each of the last 5 years.
	The Vehicle Fitting Apprenticeship framework was implemented on 1(st) September 2005. This is in effect its first year for apprentices to enrol onto and as yet there is no usable framework completion data at any geographical level.
	Prior to 1(st) September 2005 there were more generic Apprenticeship frameworks in operation for the Retail Motor Industry. An analysis of these framework completions where the NVQ within the framework is for "Vehicle Fitting" shows the following results,
	
		
			   Greater Merseyside  England 
			   Female  Male  Female  Male 
			 2002/03 0 (0%) 10 (100%) 0 (2%) 60 (98%) 
			 2003/04 0 (0%) 10 (100%) 0 (1%) 120 (99%) 
			 2004/05 0 (0%) 30 (100%) 0 (0%) 240 (99%) 
			 Table 1: Automotive Industry Frameworks completed with a Vehicle Fitting NVQ as the main aim (Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 for reasons of disclosure) Source:LSC WBLILR. 
		
	
	Specific information regarding heavy vehicle fitting is not available at framework level or at NVQ qualification level, hence this response can only look at vehicle fitting in general.
	The Learning and Skills Council publishes regular statistical information on Apprenticeships including framework completion data on its website (www.apprenticeships.org.uk). The information is provided for each Apprenticeship framework and as such the volume of completers nationally will be provided in future updates.
	Consistent and high quality data is only available from the first full academic year following the commencement of the Learning and Skills Council in April 2001. For this reason the table above only shows information for the past three full academic years.
	I trust this provides the information you require.

Departmental Information

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Education and Skills how many circulars weresent by his Department to schools via email in the past 12 months.

Jim Knight: holding answer 26 June 2006
	The Department sent 27 emails automatically to all primary and secondary schools within the last 12 months. These emails provided schools with a regular update on the information and resources available to them online and in hard copy.
	The Department only sends hard copy publications automatically to schools in England in exceptional cases having stopped regular paper mailings in December 2004. Discussions with head teachers and detailed research showed that schools wanted to be able to choose the printed publications they needed, when they needed them, and to be able to order multiple copies.
	The online ordering system enables schools to choose whether to download electronic copies or order the paper based publications they need at the right time for them and in the multiples they require. This system is linked directly to the fulfilment service and an existing telephone ordering line. A fortnightly email service to schools informs them of new and important publications. This has resulted in schools being ableto order a wider variety of publications from the Department, putting schools in direct control of what they receive, when they receive it.

Edexcel

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils will sit at least one  (a) GCSE,  (b) AS and  (c) A level examination paper written by Edexcel in the summer of 2006; and what proportion that figure represents of all pupils taking each level of examination.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), through the National Assessment Agency, regularly collects during the examination series data from the unitary awarding bodies in England on the total number of candidates entered for GCE and GCSE examinations. It does not, however, hold data on how many individual pupils sit at least one GCSE, AS or A level paper.
	Provided as follows is the number of entries for each examination unit and the number of candidates seeking a qualification award in summer 2006. (The figures are provisional.)
	
		
			   GCSE  GCE 
			 Number of candidates seeking a qualification award in summer 2006 5,375,671 1,845,066 
			
			 Number of candidates seeking an Edexcel qualification award 1,313,017 492,398 
			 Percentage 24.43 26.67 
			
			 Total number of unit entries for examinations in summer 2006 4,918,441 5,931,144 
			
			 Total number of unit entries for Edexcel examinations 1,840,225 1,698,438 
			 Percentage 37.41 28.64

Education Legislation

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) Green Papers, (b) White Papers and  (c) Bills on education have been produced since May 1997.

Jim Knight: holding answer 26 June 2006
	The following table shows a list of Green and White Papers. Information on all Bills produced is not readily available, but a list of Acts on education is included.
	
		
			   Title  Publication date 
			  Green papers   
			 Cm. 3785 Excellence for all children—meeting special educational needs 22 October 1997 
			 Cm. 3790 The learning age: a renaissance for a new Britain. 25 February 1998 
			 Cm. 4164 Teachers—meeting the challenge of change 3 December 1998 
			 Cm. 5050 Schools—building on success 12 February 2001 
			 Cm. 5342 14-19 extending opportunities, raising standards 12 February 2002 
			 Cm. 5810 21st century skills—realising our potential 9 July 2003 
			 Cm. 6273 Parental separation: children's needs and parents' responsibilities. 21 July 2004 
			 Cm. 6629 Youth matters 18 July 2005 
			 Cm. 6702 Reducing re-offending through skills and employment 15 December 2005 
			
			  White papers   
			 Cm. 3681 Excellence in schools 7 July 1997 
			 Cm. 4392 Learning to succeed: a new framework for post-16 learning 30 June 1999 
			 Cm. 5052 Opportunity for all in a world of change. 13 February 2001 
			 Cm. 5230 Schools achieving success 5 September 2001 
			 Cm. 5735 The future of higher education 22 January 2003 
			 Cm. 6476 14-19 education and skills 23 February 2005 
			 Cm. 6483 Skills: getting on in business, getting on at work 22 March 2005 
			 Cm. 6677 Higher standards, better schools for all: more choice for parents and pupils 25 October 2005 
			 Cm. 6768 Further education: raising skills, improving life chances 27 March 2006 
			
			  Acts/Bills   
			  Education (Schools)Act 1997  
			  Education (Student Loans) Act 1998  
			  Teaching and Higher Education Act 1998  
			  School Standards and Framework Act 1998  
			  Learning and SkillsAct 2000  
			  Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001  
			  Education Act 2002  
			  Higher Education Act 2004  
			  Education Act 2005  
			  Education and Inspections Bill

Education Maintenance Allowance

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students aged 16 years or above were receiving education maintenance allowances in each  (a) school and  (b) college in the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (i) at the start of the school year in 2005-06 and (ii) on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate education maintenance allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the council's Chief Executive, has written to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Mark Haysom:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked "how many students aged 16 years or above were receiving education maintenance allowances in each (a) school and(b) college in the City of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (i) at the start of the school year in 2005-06 and (ii) on the most recent date for which figures are available".
	By the end of April 2006, 3,113 young people received one or more EMA payment with schools or colleges in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area during the academic year 2005/06.
	The attached table displays the data for EMA take up for all schools and colleges in the Newcastle-upon-Tyne area at the end of October 05 and at the end of March 06. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payment in the academic year 2005/06.
	
		
			  School/college  Take up at September 2005  Take up at April 2006 
			 Gosforth High School 185 207 
			 Walbottle Campus Technology College 76 83 
			 Walker Technology College 85 98 
			 Benfield School 50 53 
			 Kenton School 157 177 
			 Heaton Manor School 106 120 
			 West Gate Community College 45 51 
			 St. Mary's Catholic Comprehensive School 35 39 
			 St. Cuthbert's High School 64 69 
			 Sacred Heart High School 111 121 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne Church High School 10 15 
			 La Sagesse School 10 10 
			 Westfield School 8 10 
			 Central Newcastle High School 16 18 
			 Dame Allan's Boys' School 21 25 
			 Royal Grammar School 28 30 
			 Northern Counties School 9 9 
			 Newcastle College 1,553 1,908 
			 Trinity School 1 2 
			 Sir Charles Parsons School 14 14 
			 Thomas Bewick School 4 6 
			 All Saints College 36 41 
			 Newcastle Bridges School 1 2 
			 Talbot House School Newcastle 0 0 
			 University of Northumbria at Newcastle 0 0 
			 Sage Academy of Performing Arts 4 5 
			 Total 2,629 3,113

Education Maintenance Allowance

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many residents of Stroud constituency are  (a) eligible for and  (b) in receipt of education maintenance allowance.

Parmjit Dhanda: This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council, who operate Education Maintenance Allowances for the DfES and hold the information about take-up of the scheme. Mark Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, has written to the my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply has been placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Rob Wye, dated 28 June 2006:
	I am writing in response to your Parliamentary Questionthat asked "how many residents of Stroud constituency are (a) eligible for and  (b) in receipt of Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA)."
	Information on the number of young people who have applied, enrolled and received EMA is available at Local Authority (LA) level, but not at constituency level. EMA take-up is defined as young people who have received one or more EMA payment in the academic year 2005/06.
	Projections of the number of young people eligible for EMA are formed by applying income distributions (derived from the Family Resources Survey) and expected numbers in full-time further education. When applied to individual localities the figures may be subject to some variation but they provide a useful estimate.
	The following table displays the data for Gloucestershire.
	
		
			  Eligibility for EMA in 2005/06 
			   Gloucestershire LA 
			 Projected number eligible 4,654 
			 Actual take-up 3,821 
			 (1 )By end of June 2006. 
		
	
	In practice, not all eligible young people will take up EMA. For modelling purposes we therefore take account of what the actual take-up was in the previous year. In 2004/05 the take-up in Gloucestershire was 2,125 and on this basis we expected take-up in 2005/06 to be 3,850.
	I trust this information is helpful.

English Language Support

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much funding his Department has provided for English as an additional language support in schools in  (a) England and  (b) the London borough of Newham in (i) 2004-05,(ii) 2005-06 and (iii) 2006-07;
	(2)  whether his Department plans to increase funding for English as an additional language support in schools.

Jim Knight: Schools receive funding to provide English as an additional language (EAL) support to their pupils through two sources: mainstream school funding and the ethnic minority achievement grant (EMAG).
	Mainstream school funding is calculated to take account of the additional cost of support required by pupils EAL needs.
	Figures below for 2004-05 and 2005-06 representthe funding allocated through the EAL part of the education formula spending. The changes to school funding following the introduction of the dedicated schools grant in 2006-07 mean that it is no longer possible to identify the exact proportions of the overall funding allocated on the basis of EAL. For illustrative purposes, however, an estimate is provided below for 2006-07:
	
		
			  £ million 
			  Programme year  England  Newham 
			 2004-05 257.651 11.081 
			 2005-06 282.693 11.81 
			 2006-07 305.000 12.400 
		
	
	Mainstream school funding through the dedicated school grant has increased by 6.8 per cent. per pupil in 2006-07 and 6.7 per cent. in 2007-08. Funding levels beyond 2007-08 are subject to the outcomes of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.
	Each local authority receives an ethnic minority achievement grant (EMAG), which must be used to support underachieving minority ethnic pupils and pupils with EAL needs. Local authorities are required to pass 85 per cent. of their allocation to schools using a locally agreed formula. Newham's EMAG allocation has increased significantly and well above the rate of inflation over the period 2004-05 to 2006-07 and will increase further in 2007-08. Allocations beyond 2007-08 are subject to the outcomes of the 2007 Comprehensive Spending Review.
	
		
			  £ million 
			   National  Newham 
			 2004-05 162 2 
			 2005-06 168 3 
			 2006-07 178 3.9 
			 2007-08 188 4.5

European Cultural Identity

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to promote  (a) European cultural identity and  (b) positive attitudes to (i) mathematics, (ii) foreign languages and (iii) the English language.

Jim Knight: Promoting cultural identity is an integral and important part of the way languages are taught and studied in England. Intercultural understanding is promoted at each key stage. For example, at Key Stage 2 intercultural understanding is one of the five key strands of the Key Stage 2 Framework for Languages. At Key Stage 3 the programme of study, produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA), states that pupils should make progress in developing cultural awareness, and in QCA's Key Stage 4 document, "Modern foreign languages in the Key Stage 4 curriculum", it states that studying languages develops students' understanding and appreciation of different countries, cultures and communities, making students aware that they are citizens of the world as well as of the United Kingdom.
	Citizenship teaching is compulsory at Key Stages 3 and 4. Pupils are taught about the world as a global community, and the political, economic, environmental and social implications of this, and the role of the European Union, the Commonwealth and the United Nations and about the United Kingdom's relations in Europe, including the European Union, and relations with the Commonwealth and the United Nations. Through the citizenship curriculum, pupils are also taught to think about political and cultural issues which could include a discussion about cultural identity. It is also possible for European cultural identity to be taught through the non-statutory framework for PSHE, which covers teaching about and developing a sense of their own identity.
	Following on from the recommendations of the Adrian Smith report on mathematics, published in 2004, and our 14-19 White Paper, we have appointed a chief adviser for mathematics to be the champion of mathematics and lead in developing the mathematics strategy. We are establishing a National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics that will support the professional development of teachers of mathematics at every stage of their career. We are adopting a range of measures at GCSE and A level to promote a positive attitude amongst pupils, teachers and employers to mathematics. For example, we will be targeting our support to ensure that the teaching of 'functional mathematics' is available to all; from this September, attainment of at least a 'C' grade in both Maths (and English) will be a key component of our understanding of the 5 good GCSEs benchmark; in the longer term, the curriculum and qualifications in mathematics for 14 to 19-year-olds will be revised as part of the wider reform programme; and finally, improvements planned for A level as part of our 14-19 reforms will benefit all those embarking on A level programmes.
	Our national languages strategy 'Languages for All; Languages for Life—a strategy for England' outlines our positive approach to language learning and stresses the importance for society and the global economy for learners of all ages to acquire "the ability to understand and communicate in other languages". Our commitment to language learning is backed by considerable investment, and by the end of the financial year 2007-08 we will have invested£137 million in the promotion of, and support given to, language learning programmes at all stages of education.
	English is a core subject and statutory from Key Stages 1-4. The national curriculum programmes of study for English set out the importance of English. English is a vital way of communicating in schools, in public life and internationally. In studying English, pupils develop skills in speaking, listening, reading and writing. Literature in English is rich and influential, reflecting the experience of people from many countries and times. It enables them to express themselves creatively and imaginatively and to communicate with others effectively. Pupils learn to become enthusiastic and critical readers of stories, poetry and drama as well as non-fiction and media texts. The study of English helps pupils understand how language works by looking at its patterns, structures and origins. Using this knowledge, pupils can choose and adapt what they say and write in different situations.
	In addition, both primary and secondary national strategies, through their work with schools and local authorities, provide strong and varied support to teachers. This support enables teachers to provide effective and tailored teaching that engages all pupils across the range of subjects and enables them to fulfil their potential. The national strategies provide a range of materials to support teachers, school librarians and others to ensure that their schools both provide high quality teaching and learning, and promote an environment which encourages children's enthusiasm for reading and writing and helps them achieve their potential. Reading for pleasure is essential as it increases children's chances of success and the Department is taking action on several fronts to encourage children and young people to read more. Both strategies have a specific remit for raising attainment in mathematics and English. The secondary strategy extends this remit to modern foreign languages.

Examination Boards

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action his Department has taken against examination boards which have delivered  (a) GCSE,  (b) AS and  (c) A level examination papers containing errors or omissions to schools in each of the last nine years.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) is responsible for the regulation of awarding bodies in England. QCA expects awarding bodies to make sure that question papers do not contain any errors that might affect candidates. The regulators' code of practice for GCE and GCSE examinations requires awarding bodies to have procedures in place to ensure the suitability and accuracy of the papers. QCA monitors the awarding bodies to ensure they comply with the regulatory requirements.
	QCA has set performance expectations for awarding bodies governing the quality and accuracy of the question papers they produce. These performance expectations allow QCA to monitor and report on awarding body performance each year. QCA has collected and reported the number of question papers containing errors or omissions since 2004 but does not hold data for previous years.
	If a question paper does contain an error that requires correction, awarding bodies are expected to send an erratum notice to centres (schools and colleges) before the examination is sat to make sure candidates are aware of the errors.
	Data on the number of question papers issued without errors in June 2006 will be finalised afterthe examination series and published by QCA inMarch 2007.

Examination Boards

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) errors in and  (b) omissions from (i) GCSE, (ii) AS and (iii) A level examination papers there were in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) collects data each year from awarding bodies regarding the number of examination papers issued requiring correction including errors and omissions. These data are collected in the autumn following each examination series and are normally published in March the following year. Consequently, data on the summer 2006 examination series are not yet available.
	In 2004 out of the 3,400 question papers produced by the England-based unitary GCE and GCSE awarding bodies (AQA, Edexcel and OCR) 83 question papers contained errors that required correction. This represents 2.4 per cent. of the total number of examination papers issued.
	In 2005 out of more than 1,500 GCSE question papers 18 contained errors that required correction. Out of more than 1,700 GCE question papers 22 contained errors that required correction.
	Although the figures quoted indicate the number of instances of papers that contained errors requiring correction, in nearly all cases centres were informed of the errors before the date of the examination. In both 2004 and 2005 centres were not informed about errors in nine GCSE, AS and A level question papers. This represents 0.27 per cent. of the total number of question papers produced in 2005 and 0.26 per cent. of the total number of question papers produced in 2004.

Free Tuition

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many eligible adults have taken up the level 2 entitlement for free tuition, as announced in the White Paper, 21st Century Skills, broken down by  (a) race,  (b) gender and  (c) disability; and what proportion of participants have dropped out.

Phil Hope: holding answer 12 June 2006
	In October 2005, 122,000 adults aged 19+ were studying on full level 2 programs in LSC-funded FE colleges—this is an increase of 3.4 per cent. on the previous year. Approximately 70 per cent. of these students received free tuition because of the level 2 entitlement or because of other reasons.
	The chief executive of the Learning and Skills Council, Mr. Mark Haysom, has written to the hon. Member with a detailed breakdown of level 2 entitlement recipients. A copy of his letter has been placed in the House Library.
	 Letter from Rob Wye, dated 28 June 2006:
	I am write on behalf of Mark Haysom, due to him currently being out of the office on annual leave, in response to your Parliamentary Question that asked how many eligible adults have taken up the level 2 entitlement for free tuition, as announced in the White Paper, 21st Century Skills, broken down by race, gender and disability; and what proportions of participants have dropped out.
	Early information shows that in 2005/06 approximately 118,000 adult learners enrolled on a full level 2 qualification. Of these approximately 28,000 adults were on a first(1) full level 2 qualification and in receipt of tuition fee remission. Of these approximately 12,000 were claiming tuition fee remission specifically through the Level 2 Entitlement. It is important to note that the Level 2 entitlement was rolled out nationally in 2005/06 within existing college budgets and with no major marketing campaigns. A breakdown of these figures by race, gender and disability is shown in the attached annex. The proportions for ethnicity and gender are in line with the proportions of these groups in further education as a whole.
	The proportion of learners recorded as being in receipt of the Level 2 Entitlement who left their current learning aims in 2004/05 before completion or achievement was 15%. This is the only full year data that we have for the Level 2 Entitlement and only refers to learners in the two trialling regions of the North East and South East.
	In 2006/07 the Level 2 Entitlement is a key element of the recently launched Train to Gain service and I would be happy to provide you with further data when this becomes available.
	I trust this letter provides the information you require.
	(1) Only for those adult learners where the prior qualifications information is known.
	
		
			  LSC-Funded adults in FE in 2005/06 on a first full level 2 and claiming tuition fee remission 
			  Ethnicity  Participation  Percentage of total participation 
			 Asian or Asian British 1,900 7 
			 Black or Black British 2,400 8 
			 Chinese 100 0 
			 Mixed 700 2 
			 White 22,100 78 
			 Any other 550 2 
			 Not known/not provided 650 2 
			 Total 28,400 100 
		
	
	
		
			  LSC-Funded adults in FE in 2005/06 on a first full level 2 and claiming tuition fee remission 
			  Gender  Participation  Percentage of total participation 
			 Female 16,350 58 
			 Male 12,050 42 
			 Total 28,400 100 
		
	
	
		
			  LSC-Funded adults in FE in 2005/06 on a first full level 2 and claiming tuition fee remission 
			  Disability  Participation  Percentage of total participation 
			 Visual impairment 50 0 
			 Hearing impairment 150 1 
			 Disability affecting mobility 100 0 
			 Other physical disability 50 0 
			 Other medical condition (for example epilepsy, asthma, diabetes) 350 1 
			 Emotional/behavioural difficulties 50 0 
			 Mental ill health 150 1 
			 Temporary disability after illness (for example post-viral) — 0 
			 Profound complex disabilities — 0 
			 Multiple disabilities 100 0 
			 Other 250 1 
			 No disability 24,400 86 
			 Not known/information not provided 2,750 10 
			 Total 28,400 100 
			  Notes: 1. Results are rounded to the nearest 50. 2. Volumes <10 are suppressed.  Source: F01 2005/06 ILR.

Further Education Colleges

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average change is in funding for further education colleges in  (a) England,  (b) each region and  (c) each county for (i) 2006-07 and (ii) 2007-08.

Bill Rammell: I announced last October as part of our post-16 funding strategy—Priorities for Success—that planned expenditure for further education would increase to £4.8 billion in 2006-07 and £4.9 billion in 2007-08, a 3 per cent. increase in funding compared to 2005/06 baselines. These figures cover both 16-18 and adults but do not include work based learning, Personal Community and Development Learning (PCDL) or additional funds for the roll out of Train to Gain, of which we expect colleges to receive a significant proportion.
	Providers should now have received confirmed further education funding allocations from the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) for 2006/07. The LSC will be writing to all further education providers shortly with a more detailed analysis of the 2006/07 allocations and this information will also be available on the LSC website.

Head Teachers

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average annual wage was of  (a) secondary and  (b) primary head teachers in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the average salary of full-time head teachers in nursery primary and secondary schools in England and Wales in each March from 1997 to March 2003, the latest year for which information is available.
	
		
			  Annual salary of full-time head teachers, March 1997 to March 2003 
			   Nursery/primary  Secondary 
			 1997 30,050 41,520 
			 1998 31,110 43,060 
			 1999 32,510 44,870 
			 2000 35,130 48,230 
			 2001 37,330 50,820 
			 2002 39,420 53,960 
			 2003(1) 41,730 57,460 
			 (1) Data are provisional.  Source:  Database of Teacher Records (DTR) 
		
	
	For both nursery/primary and secondary heads, the average salary has increased by 19 per cent. in real terms over the period.

Head Teachers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 20 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1704W, on head teachers, what percentage of all teachers in the leadershipgroup retired early in  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04 and (c) 2004-05.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the percentage of teachers in the leadership group who retired early (defined as before the normal pension age of 60 on premature, actuarially reduced (ARB) or ill health grounds) in each year from 2002-03 to 2004-05, the latest information available.
	
		
			  Proportion of leadership group teachers in the maintained sector in England retiring early( 1) , 2002-03 to 2004-05 
			   Percentage 
			 2002-03 2.8 
			 2003-04 3.1 
			 2004-05 2.7 
			 (1) Head, deputy and assistant head teachers awarded premature, actuarially reduced or ill health retirement benefits from the Teachers' Pensions Scheme.  Note: Data are provisional.  Source: Database of Teacher Records (DTR) and Pensioner Statistical System.

Lifelong Learning

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many UK  (a) institutions and  (b) academics have been funded by the project lines which are to be combined in the Integrated Action Plan in the field of lifelong learning.

Bill Rammell: The most recent data available for 2004/05 shows that 156 UK higher education institutions benefited from the Erasmus programme. 1,304 teacher visits took place under the programme. This will become a part of the new action programme in the field of lifelong learning from the beginning of 2007.

Lifelong Learning

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the involvement of non-EU countries as part of the EU integrated action plan in the field of lifelong learning.

Bill Rammell: The European Union's proposed action programme in the field of lifelong learning seeks to contribute to the development of the Communityas an advanced knowledge society by fostering interchange cooperation and mobility between education and training systems. Intercultural dialogue and exchange are key elements of the programme, and so membership is rightly not limited to the EU member states, but also includes the EEA countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway), Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey. In addition, Switzerland and the countries of the Western Balkans will be able to participate once bilateral agreements are concluded. Finally, the Jean Monnet sub-programme allows participation of higher education institutions in any other third country.

Lifelong Learning

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the Integrated Action Plan in the Field of Lifelong Learning with sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996, with particular reference to the teaching of viewpoints on European integration; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The European Union's proposed action programme in the field of lifelong learning seeks to contribute to the development of the Communityas an advanced knowledge society by fostering interchange cooperation and mobility between education and training systems.
	The programme has no bearing on sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996. The programme does not promote partisan political activities. DFES policy is to teach about the nature and roles of all democratic institutions, including the European Union, as well as the UK Parliament, United Nations, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, and the Commonwealth.

Older People (Skills Training)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what  (a) grants and  (b) training schemes are available through his Department (i) for people over 55 years and (ii) for people in retirement to learn new job skills.

Phil Hope: In England the priorities for public funding of adult learning are to help those adults without the skills for life and employability, regardless of age. Tuition in literacy and numeracy is free and there will be an entitlement to free tuition for a first full level 2 across England from September this year for all adults irrespective of age. All adults can access a wide range of training courses offered by further education college and other FE providers where, currently, on average 72.5 per cent. of the tuition costs of courses are met by public funding through the Learning and Skills Council. In addition all those on income related benefits and their families are eligible for free tuition on further education courses.
	There is also financial support to meet the costs of learning, such as books, equipment, child care and transport; it is discretionary, disbursed by colleges and targeted on the most disadvantaged and needy regardless of age. The Adult Learning Grant offers an entitlement of up to £30 per week to individuals on low income undertaking a first full level 2 or level 3 qualification. From September 2006 this will be available to adults aged 19 plus in 24 of the 47 LSC areas, and nationally from September 2007.

PE Teachers

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many trained physical education teachers there were in England in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: Information on the number of teachers teaching by subject and qualification is collected for England in periodic staffing surveys the last of which was conducted in November 2002.
	The following tables provide the available information.
	
		
			  D8 Teachers in Service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools—Highest post A level qualifications( 1)  held in the subjects they teach( 2)  to year groups 7-13, England 
			   Percentage  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other Qual.  No Qual.  Total teachers (Thousand) 
			 Mathematics 42 ± 3 15 ± 2 9 ± 2 7 ± 1 2 ± 1 24 ± 2 28.2 
			 English 51 ± 3 15 ± 2 7 ± 1 6 ± 1 1 ± 1 20 ± 2 29.4 
			 
			 Combined/General science 62 ± 3 12 ± 2 10 ± 2 4 ± 1 1 ± 1 11 ± 2 28.3 
			 Biology(4) 71 ± 5 7 ± 3 11 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± 1 7 ± 3 5.6 
			 Chemistry(4) 72 ± 5 6 ± 3 12 ± 4 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 7 ± 3 5.2 
			 Physics(4) 63 ± 6 11 ± 4 15 ± 4 3 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 3 4.7 
			 Other sciences(4) 10 ± 6 4 ± 4 5 ± 4 - ± - - ± - 80 ± 8 1.6 
			 
			 French 54 ± 3 7 ± 2 10 ± 2 3 ± 1 2 ± 1 23 ± 3 16.0 
			 German 47 ± 5 6 ± 3 13 ± 4 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 30 ± 5 6.9 
			 Spanish 37 ± 7 8 ± 4 19 ± 6 - ± - 3 ± 2 33 ± 7 3.6 
			 Other modern languages 18 ± 8 - ± - 9 ± 7 - ± - 3 ± 4 71 ±10 1.4 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 26 ± 3 20 ± 3 7 ± 2 21 ± 3 2 ± 1 24 ± 3 20.9 
			 ICT(5, 6) 13 ± 2 6 ± 1 8 ± 2 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 69 ± 3 18.9 
			 Other/Combined technology(5) 30± 1 0 13 ± 8 16 ± 7 18 ± 9 2 ± 3 20 ± 9 1.6 
			 
			 Business studies 30 ± 5 11 ± 4 9 ± 3 4 ± 2 3 ± 2 43 ± 5 6.5 
			 Classics 33 ± 7 - ± - 2 ± 4 2 ± - - ± - 63 ± 7 1.0 
			 History 57 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 6 ± 2 - ± - 23 ± 3 13.7 
			 Religious education 22 ± 3 8 ± 2 8 ± 2 4 ± 1 2 ± 1 57 ± 4 14.2 
			 Geography 53 ± 4 9 ± 2 6 ± 2 5 ± 2 1 ± 1 25 ± 3 13.7 
			 Other social studies 35 ± 5 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 2 ± 1 - ± 1 54 ± 6 4.9 
			 Combined arts/humanities/ social studies 5 ± 3 4 ± 2 7 ± 3 1 ± 1 1 ± 1 83 ± 5 5.3 
			 
			 Music 59 ± 5 15 ± 4 5 ± 2 6 ± 3 2 ± 2 13 ± 4 6.3 
			 Drama 25 ± 4 10 ± 3 12 ± 3 6 ± 2 2 ± 1 45 ± 5 8.1 
			 Art and design 54 ± 4 10 ± 3 7 ± 2 9 ± 3 1 ± 1 20 ± 4 9.3 
			 Physical education 25 ± 3 31 ± 3 6 ± 2 13 ± 2 2 ± 1 22 ± 2 21.4 
			 Careers education 2 ± 2 1 ± 2 3 ± 3 4 ± 4 3 ± 4 87 ± 7 1.5 
			 PSHE(6) 1 ± - 1 ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 61.4 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 95 ± 2 7.1 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± 1 - ± - 94 ± 2 9.0 
			 Other — — — — — — 32.8 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 33 ± - 10 ±- 7 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 44 ± - 388.4 
			 '-' = zero or less than 0.5.(1) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.(2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.(3) Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.(4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.(5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology.(6) Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE.(7) 'Other' not included in total percentages. Source:Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002. 
		
	
	
		
			  D9 Teachers in Service: Full-time teachers in maintained secondary schools—Proportion of subject periods taught to year groups 7-13 holding a post A level qualification( 1)  in that subject ( 2) , England 
			   Percentage  
			   Degree( 3)  BEd  PGCE  Cert Ed  Other Qual.  No Qual.  Total teachers (Thousand) 
			 Mathematics 52 ± 1 17 ± - 10 ± - 8 ± - 1 ± - 12 ± - 630 
			 English 62 ± 1 15 ± - 6 ± - 6 ± - 1± - 9 ± - 650 
			 
			 Combined/General science 65 ± 1 13 ± - 10 ± - 5 ± - 1 ± - 6 ± - 610 
			 Biology(4) 76 ± 1 6 ± 1 10 ± 1 3 ± 1 - ± - 5 ± 1 60 
			 Chemistry(4) 80 ± 1 5 ± 1 8 ± 1 1 ± - 2 ± - 5 ± 1 50 
			 Physics(4) 73 ± 2 9 ± 1 9 ± 1 2 ± 1 - ± - 6 ± 1 50 
			 Other Sciences(4) 11 ± 2 3 ± 1 4 ± 1 - ± - - ± - 82 ± 2 20 
			 
			 French 61 ± 1 8 ± - 10 ± - 4 ± - 3 ± - 15 ± 1 300 
			 German 59 ± 1 8 ± 1 13 ± 1 1 ± - 3 ± - 16 ± 1 110 
			 Spanish 43 ± 2 13 ± 1 22 ± 2 - ± - 4 ± 1 18 ± 2 50 
			 Other modern languages 27 ± 2 - ± - 8 ± 2 - ± - 1 ± 1 63 ± 2 20 
			 
			 Design and technology(5) 30 ± 1 25 ± 1 7 ± - 23 ± 1 2 ± - 13 ± - 480 
			 ICT(5, 6) 22 ± 1 11 ± 1 11 ± 1 3 ± - 4 ± - 49 ± 1 210 
			 Other/Combined technology(5) 37 ± 3 11 ± 2 12 ± 2 28 ± 3 6 ± 1 6 ± 2 20 
			 
			 Business studies 35 ± 1 11 ± 1 12 ± 1 6 ± 1 4 ± 1 33 ± 1 90 
			 Classics 71 ± 2 - ± - 2 ± 1 1 ± - - ± - 26 ± 2 10 
			 History 70 ± 1 10 ± 1 6 ± - 6 ± - - ± - 8 ± - 250 
			 Religious education 44 ± 1 12 ± 1 11 ± 1 6 ± 1 3 ± - 24 ± 1 190 
			 Geography 69 ± 1 10 ± 1 7 ± - 5 ± 1 1 ± - 9 ± 1 240 
			 Other social studies 54 ± 2 7 ± 1 3 ± - 1 ± - - ± - 35 ± 2 60 
			 Combined arts/humanities/ social studies 6 ± 1 10 ± 1 11 ± 1 - ± - 3 ± 1 70 ± 2 50 
			 
			 Music 66 ± 1 18 ± 1 4 ± - 7 ± 1 2 ± - 4 ± - 140 
			 Drama 43 ± 1 14 ± 1 11 ± 1 9 ± 1 2 ± - 22 ± 1 120 
			 Art and design 65 ± 1 11 ± 1 7 ± - 8 ± 1 1 ± - 8 ± 1 210 
			 Physical education 35 ± 1 37 ± 1 5 ± - 15 ± 1 2 ± - 6 ± - 420 
			 Careers education 3 ± 1 5 ± 2 7 ± 2 13 ± 4 4 ± 2 68 ± 5 10 
			 PSHE(6) 2 ± - 2 ± - 2 ± - 2 ± - 1 ± - 92 ± 1 150 
			 General studies 1 ± 1 2 ± 1 1± 1 - ± - - ± - 95 ± 1 20 
			 Citizenship 2 ± 1 2 ± 1 3 ± 1 - ± - - ± - 93 ± 2 20 
			 Other — — — — — — 220 
			 
			 Total(2, 7) 51 ± - 15 ± - 8 ± - 8 ± - 2 ± - 17 ± - 5,460 
			 '-' = zero or less than 0.5.(1) Where a teacher has more than one post A level qualification in the same subject, the qualification level is determined by the highest level reading from left (Degree) to right (Other Qual.). For example, teachers shown under PGCE have a PGCE but not a degree or BEd in the subject, while those with a PGCE and a degree are shown only under Degree.(2) Teachers are counted once against each subject which they are teaching.(3). Includes higher degrees but excludes BEds.(4) Teachers qualified in combined/general science are treated as qualified to teach biology, chemistry, or physics. Teachers qualified in biology, chemistry or physics are treated as qualified to teach combined/general science.(5) Teachers qualified in other/combined technology are treated as qualified to teach design and technology or information and communication technology. Teachers qualified in design and technology or information and communication technology are treated as qualified to teach other/combined technology.(6). Information and Communication Technology is abbreviated as ICT and Personal Social and Health Education is abbreviated as PSHE.(7) 'Other' not included in total percentages. Source:Secondary Schools Curriculum and Staffing Survey 2002.

Race Equality

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the statutory duty to promote race equality in schools.

Jim Knight: Ofsted, as the inspectorate for children and learners in England routinely evaluates and reports to the Department on the work carried out by schools in eliminating unlawful racial discrimination. Ofsted inspection reports have found schools' compliance with the specific duties has improved since the introduction of the statutory duty which came into force for schools in 2002. In 2005 Ofsted published a thematic inspection report Race Equality in Education identifying good practice in schools and Local Authorities. The report found areas of strength in promoting racial harmony and raising ethnic minority achievement in schools but weakness in effectively handling racist incidents.
	We are working closely with the Commission for Racial Equality and Ofsted to support schools in taking forward the requirements of the Act.

School Closures

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what criteria have to be met before a rural primary school can be closed; what process has to be followed by  (a) the Government and  (b) the local education authority; and what right of appeal parents have at each stage of the process.

Jim Knight: Changes to local school organisation, including school closures, are decided under local decision-making arrangements. Ministers have no role in the process. Individual proposals are determined by the local authority if they published the proposals and there are no objections. In all other cases the proposals are decided by the local School Organisation Committee (SOC) or the schools adjudicator, if the SOC cannot reach a unanimous decision.
	SOCs and schools adjudicators must have regard to Decision Makers' Guidance issued by the Secretary of State when deciding proposals. The guidance includes a presumption against the closure of rural schools and sets out a range of factors that must be considered for the different types of proposals. For rural school closures the factors include: whether the case is strong and in the best interests of educational provision in the area; the overall effect of the closure on the local community; the transport implications and whether the possibilities of federated or extended schools to increase viability have been considered.
	Where a local authority or governing body plan to close a school they must first consult interested parties, allowing sufficient time for people to consider the proposal and respond. Then, after considering views, and if they wish to proceed, the proposer must publish statutory proposals. Following publication and a six week representation period the proposal will be decided by the appropriate decision maker. Once statutory proposals have been approved there is a duty for them to be implemented.
	Parents are able to register their views on a proposal during the consultation and representation periods. Any comments made during the representation period are taken into account when the final decision is taken on the proposal. More information can be found onthe Department's School Organisation website at www.dfes.gov.uk/schoolorg

School Sports

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if he will take steps to increase the amount of time allocated to sport in schools in the national curriculum;
	(2)  what recent research he has commissioned into the types of physical education taught in schools.

Jim Knight: Head teachers are responsible for curriculum planning and it is for them to decide how much time they devote to physical education and sport in the national curriculum. The Department for Education and Skills shares an ambitious PSA target with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to increase the percentage of five to 16-year-olds who take part in at least two hours high quality PE and school sport each week, to 75 per cent. by 2006 and on to85 per cent. by 2008. The long term aim, by 2010, is for all children to be offered at least four hours of sport every week. This will comprise at least two hours high quality PE and sport at school and the opportunity for at least a further two to three hours beyond the school day, delivered by a range of school, community and club providers.
	The annual National School Sport Survey is our prime tool for measuring progress towards these targets. The results of the 2004/05 survey showed that schools in school sport partnerships provided, on average, 15 different sports for their pupils. These ranged from football, which was provided by 97 per cent. of schools, to less traditional sports like rowing, bowls and squash. The results of the survey were published in September 2005 and copies were placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Schools Budget

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1373W, on school finance, when he expects the information to be available.

Jim Knight: In my reply to the hon. Member's earlier question to which he refers I explained that the Department is awaiting a complete dataset relating to the 2006-07 financial year. The Department now has the full dataset but are in the process of validating it.I will write to the hon. Member once the checks have been completed.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the average cost to his Department was of replying to a letter written  (a) by an hon. Member and  (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that sum is accounted for by (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs.

Gareth Thomas: The Cabinet Office, on an annualbasis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members/ Peers correspondence. The Report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 76-78WS.
	The information requested is not recorded and could be obtained only by incurring a disproportionate cost.

Ethiopia

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of the withdrawal of British direct budgetary support to the Ethiopian Government on the human rights situation in Ethiopia; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: We withdrew our direct budget support because the Government of Ethiopia breached oneof the three commitments underlying our aid partnership—respect for human rights. As set out in our 2005 conditionality policy, a violation of any one commitment could lead to aid being interrupted, withdrawn or delivered in a different way.
	We have, therefore, not carried out a formal assessment of the impact of the withdrawal of British budget support on the human rights situation in Ethiopia; however, we are determined to see an improvement. We monitor the human rights situation closely, and many of those detained last November have now been released and an inquiry into the events of June and November 2005 has also been launched by the Government of Ethiopia. We await its conclusions.
	All donors have agreed that the development partnership needs a greater focus on governance and human rights. This involves developing programmes to support governance reforms, but it also involves insisting on an open dialogue between government and donors on governance issues. This has begun.
	In order to minimise the impact of withdrawing general budget support on the poor, we have developed with the World Bank a new Protection of Basic Services (PBS) grant. The aim is to protect and promote the delivery of basic services by local government in Ethiopia while making the administration of local services much more transparent and accountable to people at the local level.

EU Aid (Water and Sanitation)

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of the EU's aid efforts on water and sanitation.

Hilary Benn: The EU, that is the 25 member states and the European Commission, is the largest donoron water and sanitation in Africa, spending over£1.4 billion in the sector in 2003-04. The EU Water Initiative was set up to co-ordinate these efforts, identify gaps and ensure that the money we spend is used more effectively to deliver services to the poor. The UK attaches great importance to more and better aid for water and sanitation, particularly in Sub Saharan Africa where the MDG targets for access to these basic services are so off track.
	There has, however, been concern that political commitment to the EU Water Initiative has declined and that it is not delivering its objectives. A further problem is that with very limited monitoring and reporting mechanisms it has not been sufficiently accountable to its stakeholders. We have therefore raised these issues in the EU Water Initiative Steering Group and are now working with a number of other member states to reinvigorate the initiative, including developing proper indicators for monitoring and improving the focus of work in partner countries. We hope this will lead to renewed political commitment and better implementation on the ground.
	The EU Consensus on Development, agreed during the UK Presidency, referred to the EU Water Initiative and the importance of increased aid more broadly. In addition, the EU-Africa Strategy also included a reference to access to water supply and sanitation. In raising the political profile of water and sanitation through these policy documents, we hope that other member states will be encouraged to increase their support to the sector, particularly as their levels of development funding increase.

Health Worker Migration

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect on health services in developing countries of health worker migration from those countries to the UK.

Hilary Benn: International health worker migration is a complex issue and one that the UK takes seriously. Some low-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, have less than one health worker per 1,000 population. The proportion of African doctors who leave is very significant. Ghana, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Uganda and Zambia lose between a third to a half of the doctors they train to international migration. This rapid increase in health worker migration has been partly due to staff leaving their country for greener pastures: As a result the UK has been criticised for employing workers from developing countries. However, poor working conditions, poor salaries and a lack of training and opportunity for advancement have meant that many staff in developing countries leave the public health service. In addition to this, loss of staff through AIDS has depleted many health services.
	The UK NHS has responded by putting in place policies to prevent active international recruitment of health care professionals. The UK is the only developed country to have a code of practice preventing its national health service from targeting health care professionals from developing countries. While the code on its own cannot address all the root causes of migration, it plays an important role in ensuring that recruitment is undertaken in an ethical, managed way. In addition to this, DFID supports efforts to strengthen health services in many countries, including to increase human resources. For example, DFID is providing £100 million over six years to support the Government of Malawi's health sector programme, which includes doubling the number of nurses and tripling the number of doctors over the next six years.

Iraq

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the UK has allocated to the Iraqi health care system since 2003.

Hilary Benn: Improving health care is a priority for Iraq's reconstruction and for the Iraqi people's quality of life. In the health sector, DFID has given funding directly to specialist organisations. Since 2003, we have provided:
	£5 million to the World Health Organisation for emergency medical supplies, support to clinics and hospitals in Baghdad and Basra, and support to the Iraqi Government's Ministry of Health.
	£30 million to the UN Trust Fund, which was earmarked for spending on health, education, water, sanitation, electricity, refugees, mine action, governance and electoral support.
	£40 million to the World Bank Trust Fund, which funds reconstruction work in a number of areas including health.
	£85 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and UNICEF, in response to the UN Emergency Appeals launched in March and June 2003, to help avert major humanitarian crisis, and to assist in the restoration of essential services, including primary and child health care.
	£32 million to the International Red Cross and Red Crescent (IRRC) movement for their Humanitarian Appeals from 2003 to 2006, for emergency rehabilitation and repair of health, water and sanitation facilities.
	£7.2 million to NGOs for their post conflict humanitarian work in Iraq, in a number of sectors including health and nutrition.
	During 2004-05, DFID also supported the secondment of a senior adviser from the UK's Department of Health, who provided technical assistance to the Iraqi Ministry of Health in Baghdad.

Iraq

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of Iraq's progress towards the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Hilary Benn: Monitoring progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is the responsibility of the UN, and DFID uses their official assessments. The recently published United Nations Millennium Development Goals Report is a comprehensive account of progress to date on each of the goals worldwide, and how great an effort remains necessary to meet them. It can be found at:
	http://unstats.un.org/unsd/mi/mi_dev_report.htm
	It is difficult to assess progress towards the MDGs in Iraq accurately, due to lack of official data. However, UNICEF is currently conducting a Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey in Iraq, which will collect data on the MDGs. The results of this survey, expected to issue by the end of 2006, will enable the Government of Iraq and the international community to take better stock of Iraq's progress towards the MDGs. DFID's most recent analysis of the available data on the MDGs in Iraq, conducted in February 2006, identifies the following:
	Child malnutrition rose from 12 per cent. in 1991 to 16 per cent. in 2000.
	Primary school completion rates fell from 62 per cent. in 1988 to 56 per cent. in 1999.
	Women's representation in Parliament fell from 11 per cent. in 1990 to 8 per cent. in 2003. But in Iraq's new Parliament, elected in December 2005, just over 25 per cent. of representatives are women.
	Under-5 mortality rose from 50 deaths per 1,000 births in 1990 to 125 deaths per 1,000 births in 2003.
	Numbers of children immunised against measles rose from80 per cent. of children in 1990 to 90 per cent. of childrenin 2003.
	The number of births attended by health staff rose from54 per cent. in 1989 to 72 per cent. in 2000.
	Deaths from tuberculosis (TB) rose from 21 deaths per 100,000 in 1990 to 33 deaths per 100,000 in 2003.
	The proportion of people with access to drinking water remained stable at around 83 per cent. between 1990 and 2004.
	The proportion of people with access to sanitation fell from 81 per cent. in 1990 to 64 per cent. in 2004.
	Gender equality remained stable between 1990 and 2002, at around 82 girls for every 100 boys in primary school.
	The proportion of slum dwellers in Iraqi cities remained stable between 1990 and 2001. at 43 per cent.
	Iraq's forest cover has remained stable between 1990 and 2000, at around 2 per cent.
	In all cases, the end year quoted is the last year for which data was available.

Reproductive Health

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the level of British contributions to  (a) each multilateral aid and development agency and  (b) agencies concerned with abortion and reproductive health issues (i) is in 2006-07, (ii) was in 2005-06 and (iii) is planned for 2007-08.

Gareth Thomas: The 2005-06 estimated outturn of the level of core DFID contributions to each of the multilateral aid and development agency is given in the following table. Core commitment figures for 2006-07 and 2007-08 are still under negotiation individually.
	Entries highlighted * indicate organisations involved in the provision of reproductive health services or programming. Exact reproductive health expenditure data for each agency cannot be provided without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Total DFID Multilateral Contributions  2005-06  (Estimated outturn) (£000) 
			  DFID Conflict, Humanitarian and Security Department  
			 Conflict and Humanitarian Fund* 1,900 
			 Humanitarian Response* 78,400 
			 Other Conflict and Humanitarian Projects* 1,800 
			 International Humanitarian Organisations* 98,800 
			 Good Humanitarian Donorship Facility — 
			 Post-Conflict Reconstruction Unit 3,700 
			 Global Conflict Prevention Pool 16,600 
			   
			  DFID United Nations and Commonwealth Department  
			 UN Development Programme* 45,000 
			 UNESCO (Subscription)* 11,900 
			 IFAD 9,000 
			 FAO (Subscription) 12,300 
			 WHO Core Grant* 12,500 
			 UNICEF* 19,000 
			 UNFPA Core Grant* 20,000 
			 UNAIDS* 16,000 
			 Other UN Institutions* 19,000 
			 Policy Partnerships 3,900 
			   
			  DFID Multilateral Contributions to Europe Trade and International Financial Institutions  
			  DFID European Union Department  
			 European Development Fund (Resource)* 234,400 
			 Other EU Programmes* 4,600 
			 EU Attribution (UK share)* 657,000 
			   
			  DFID International Financial Institutions Department  
			 African Development Fund* — 
			 Asian Development Fund* — 
			 Caribbean Dev Bank Special Dev Fund* — 
			 IFF for Immunisation (GAVI) 80 
			 Reg Dev Banks (Cap Sub) 850 
			 Technical Cooperation for Development Banks* 2,900 
			 IDA13* 364,800 
			 IDA14* — 
			 IMF Funds* 23,900 
			 International Financial Architecture 70 
			 HIPC Trust Fund Contributions 11,100 
			 HIPC 100% Bilateral Policy 3,300 
			 100% Multilateral Debt Relief 40,000 
			 Other IFI Programmes 2,000 
			 Trade-related technical cooperation 9,800 
			 Private Sector Infrastructure 32,400

Afghanistan

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the technological capabilities of the weaponry used by  (a) the Taliban and (b) al-Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: We continuously monitor the weaponry used by insurgent forces in Afghanistan. To date a wide range of weapons have been used including small arms, rocket propelled grenades and improvised explosive devices. Mostly these are low technology weapons and components that are widely available.

Afghanistan

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his assessment is of the possible threat posed by the infiltration of experienced insurgents of the Iraq conflict into Helmand Province.

Des Browne: There is no credible evidence that insurgents or terrorists from Iraq have infiltrated into Afghanistan.

Armed Forces (Overseas Recruitment)

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which countries provide servicemen and women for the British armed forces; and what agreements govern their terms and conditions of service.

Tom Watson: With the exception of Gurkhas, to be accepted for employment in the UK Armed Forces an applicant, at all times since birth, must have been British or a Commonwealth citizen, or a Republic of Ireland national. A waiver of these requirements may be granted, in exceptional circumstances, to applicants who are British or Commonwealth citizens, or Republic of Ireland nationals, at the time of their application. With the exception of Gurkhas, all personnel serve under the same terms and conditions of service regardless of nationality.
	British Army Gurkhas are recruited in Nepal and remain Nepalese citizens throughout their service, serving under their own Gurkha terms and conditions of service, which have evolved over the years and are based on the provisions of the Tri-Partite Agreement of 1947 between the Governments of UK, India and Nepal. They are currently the subject of a wide ranging review.

Army

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 12W, on the army, how many of each type of vehicle and aircraft are  (a) operational and  (b) available for immediate deployment.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 26 April 2006
	The number of vehicles and aircraft which were operational at the end of March 2006 is shown in the table. "Operational" is defined as equipment that is not in depth maintenance or in storage and it includes equipment deployed in operational theatres. The Army manages its armoured fleet in accordance with the principles of whole fleet management which enables armoured vehicles to be made available in sufficient numbers to meet operational requirements as they arise.
	The numbers of aircraft capable of immediate operational deployment are shown in brackets.
	
		
			   Number 
			 Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance Tracked (CVR) (T) All variants (1)1,085 — 
			 Fighting Vehicle 430 (FV430) Series 1,324 — 
			 Warrior Infantry Fighting Vehicle (All variants) 735 — 
			 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank CR2 (MET) 345 — 
			 SAXON 579 — 
			 Lynx 79 (55) 
			 Attack Helicopter (Apache) 40 (31) 
			 A109 3 (2) 
			 Gazelle 57 (38) 
			 (1) Includes 31 held by STRIKE Command.

Army Recruitment and Retention

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total  (a) outflow to civilian life and  (b) recruitment was of the regular (i) infantry, (ii) Royal Artillery, (iii) Royal Engineers, (iv) Royal Corps of Signals, (v) Royal Armoured Corps, (vi) Household Cavalry, (vii) Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers and (viii) Army Medical Services in each year since 1997.

Tom Watson: The information is as follows:
	
		
			  Outflow to civil life from UK Regular Army since 1997 by financial year 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  Officers  
			 Infantry 230 220 180 200 170 200 190 220 220 
			 Royal Artillery 80 90 90 90 100 70 70 80 70 
			 Royal Engineers 80 80 60 70 90 60 70 70 100 
			 Corps of Royal Signals 70 80 70 80 80 50 50 60 60 
			 Royal Armoured Corps 60 70 50 50 50 40 50 50 50 
			 Household Cavalry 10 10 10 10 10 0 0 10 10 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 50 70 70 50 60 50 50 40 60 
			 Army Medical Services 90 110 80 80 70 90 70 90 90 
			 Officer Designates 20 180 160 170 130 110 90 120 60 
			   
			  Other Ranks  
			 Infantry 4,440 5,760 5,800 5,000 4,910 4,720 4,710 4,600 4,290 
			 Royal Artillery 1,040 1,310 1,240 1,130 1,030 1,070 1,140 1,100 960 
			 Royal Engineers 1,230 1,240 1,120 1,020 1,090 1,110 1,230 1,350 1,330 
			 Corps of Royal Signals 1,330 1,250 1,080 1,240 1,080 950 960 1,010 970 
			 Royal Armoured Corps 550 740 690 710 620 700 730 660 700 
			 Household Cavalry 120 140 120 120 150 140 160 140 110 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 1,070 1,060 1,040 1,090 980 1,170 1,110 1,260 1,220 
			 Army Medical Services 320 380 330 340 360 340 330 420 390 
		
	
	
		
			  Intake to untrained strength UK Regular Army since 1997 by financial year 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Total Officers and Officer Designates 870 670 1,040 850 820 880 880 680 730 
			   
			  Other Ranks  
			 Infantry 4,940 5,820 5,800 5,220 4,970 5,040 4,690 3,490 3,500 
			 Royal Artillery 1,030 1,370 1,340 1,040 980 920 1,000 630 770 
			 Royal Engineers 1,120 1,150 1,070 1,140 1,290 1,520 1,090 940 1,470 
			 Corps of Royal Signals 1,290 1,190 1,230 1,090 970 1,130 1,020 770 760 
			 Royal Armoured Corps 590 820 710 700 700 740 580 280 600 
			 Household Cavalry 130 160 130 120 100 90 140 100 80 
			 Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers 940 900 950 1,060 1,280 1,500 1,430 1,070 1,260 
			 Army Medical Services 300 390 400 370 370 430 440 370 400 
		
	
	Total officers and officer designates intake to untrained strength can only be shown as most officer cadets are not allocated an Arm and Service until completion of training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst.
	UK Regular Army includes nursing services and excludes full-time reserve service personnel, Gurkhas, The Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and Mobilised Reservists.
	The data have been rounded to the nearest 10, numbers ending in '5' have been rounded to nearest 20 to prevent systematic bias.

Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made ofthe carbon emissions of his Department; what commitment he has made to reducing such emissions; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Watson: 2004-05 carbon emissions from energy use in Ministry of Defence buildings and facilities on the defence estate were two per cent below the 1999-2000 baseline level. Equivalent figures for 2005-06 are not yet available. However, they will be published in the MOD's Sustainable Development in Government Report 2005-06, a copy of which will be placed in the Library of the House.
	More widely, this Department supports and was closely involved with the development of the targets in the new Framework for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate, announced by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 12 June 2006. These targets include achieving carbon neutrality on the Government office estate by 2012 and a reduction in carbon emissions from our office based estate of 30 per cent. by 2020.

Defence Export Services

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when Alan Garwood's successor as Head of Defence Export Services is expected to be named; when he or she will take up the appointment; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence andMr. Garwood have agreed that, under the terms ofhis appointment, he will remain in post until September 2007.
	It is anticipated that the process to select his successor will begin late in 2006.

Defensive Aids Suite

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his definition is of a defensive aids suite, with particular reference to the A400M.

Adam Ingram: A defensive aids suite can comprise of one or a combination of the following:
	Directional Infra Red Counter Measures
	Missile Approach Warning Systems
	Radar Warning Receiver
	Countermeasures Dispensing System
	Large Aircraft Infra Red Counter Measures
	Defensive counter measures are under constant development in response to emerging threats.
	I am withholding information on the precise combination on defensive aids that will be employed on the A400M so as not to prejudice the security of our armed forces.

Departmental Finance Directors

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) name,  (b) professional and academic qualifications and  (c) relevant experience are of the finance director of his Department.

Tom Watson: The Ministry of Defence's finance director is Trevor Woolley. He holds a Masters degree in History from Cambridge University and has substantial financial management experience in MOD at senior level across a range of posts within head office and in managing the finances of one of our largest top level budgets.

Departmental Staff

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many women of minority ethnic origin are employed by his Department.

Tom Watson: The total number of women of minority ethnic origin employed by the Department as at 1 April 2006, is shown as follows..
	
		
			  Female personnel by ethnicity minority declaration as at 1 April 2006 
			   Number of females 
			 Civilian(1,2) 810 
			 Military(3,4,5) 1,090 
			 Total 1,900 
			 (1 )Data in the table excludes locally engaged civilians, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary personnel for whom ethnicity data are not available.(2 )Represents the number of female employees who self-declared that they were a member of an ethnic minority group. Of a total of 32,170 female civilians working for the Department as at 1 April 2006, 5,430 had not declared their ethnicity.(3 )UK regular forces includes nursing services and excludes full-time reserve service personnel, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised reservists. It includes trained and untrained personnel.(4 )Due to the introduction of a new personnel administration system for RAF, all RAF data for 1 April 2006 are provisional and subject to review.(5 )Ethnicity figures are based on those with a known ethnic origin. Figures shown are full coverage estimates of the number of ethnic minorities that would be expected if ethnicity were known for all personnel. Note:All numbers are rounded to the nearest 10.

Equal Opportunities

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) terms of reference and  (b) rules of procedure are for equal opportunities investigation teams.

Tom Watson: I will write to my hon. Friend enclosing the terms of reference for Equal Opportunities Investigation Teams and will place copies in the Library of the House. The teams operate in accordance with MOD Harassment Complaints Procedures(JSP 763).

Far East Civilian Internees

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment process he will use to judge the claims for the ex-gratia payment by those former Far East civilian internees who do not qualify under the 20 year rule; and how many such claims he expects there to be.

Tom Watson: holding answer 29 June 2006
	It is not possible to make a reliable estimate of how many unsuccessful claims will remain after they have been reviewed against the changes that were announced by my predecessor on 28 March 2006. However, for those cases that do not meet the aforementioned eligibility criteria for a payment under the scheme, we are working with a relevant charity to see how we might be able to support them in their work to provide assistance in cases of hardship. It is too early to say what form this might take but I expect to have concluded this work shortly.

Field Hospitals

David Maclean: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Defence 
	(1)  which chemicals may be used (a) to impregnate, (b) to restore, (c) to protect and(d) to disinfect tentage used in field hospitals;
	(2)  how many field hospital tent units are stored in  (a) the United Kingdom and  (b) Germany; and what plans he has to change the numbers.

Tom Watson: There are a total of seven complete field hospital modular tent systems for use by UK land forces, which would all normally be stored in the UK. The current in-service field hospital tentage is programmed for replacement in 2010 and the future requirement for exact numbers and type is yet to be determined.
	For tent material procured before 2,000 the typeof chemical used to provide rot-proofing is Pentachlorophenol Laurate (PCPL). Tentage purchased after 2,000 uses an agent known as Mystox TRP. Mystox TRP is also currently used to provide protection for fire-retardancy and waterproofing. Both treatments are compliant with current EU and UK Health and Safety Legislation. Field Hospital tentage is not routinely subject to disinfection.

Global Positioning System Re-Radiators

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with  (a) the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and  (b) Ofcom regarding the licensing of global positioning system re-radiators; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 29 June 2006
	The Ministry of Defence has had no discussions with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the licensing of global positioning system (GPS) re-radiators.
	The MOD has recently discussed the licensing of GPS re-radiators with representatives from Office of Communications (OFCOM), the Civil Aviation Authority and the Department of Transport.
	MOD has stated to OFCOM that it considers there may be significant interference problems if GPS re-radiators are licence-exempted.
	MOD has further stated to OFCOM that it considers the approach used by the US National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) with regard to GPS re-radiators may be appropriate in the UK. The NTIA allowed GPS re-radiators to be used in the US by federal agencies (Government and Government Agencies) at fixed locations.

Gurkhas

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the cost of compensating all living Gurkhas who have completed their service for pay received below levels provided to British servicemen and women serving at the same time.

Tom Watson: No estimate has been made. Gurkhas serve under their own terms and conditions of service, which we maintain are fair and appropriate to their unique status.
	Since 1997, Universal Addition to Gurkha pay has ensured that they receive the same take-home pay as their British counterparts. This also applied to Gurkhas serving in the UK since 1972; those serving elsewhere received the appropriate cost of living allowance.

Health Questionnaires

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the implementation of his April 2004 policy of seeking completed health questionnaires filled in by the general practitioner of each recruit arriving at phase one training establishments; what percentage of recruits were accompanied by such documentation on arrival; what percentage of recruits have completed phase one training without having their health needs assessed and recorded; and when and by what method he expects to review the effectiveness of this policy.

Tom Watson: Once an individual applies to join the Army, a British Army health questionnaire is sent to the applicant's general practitioner for completion. Almost all Army recruits arrive at their phase 1 training establishment with a completed health questionnaire. A small number of questionnaires may be slightly delayed and arrive shortly after. No trainees complete phase 1 training without having their health needs assessed and recorded.
	The Army is currently trialling a policy whereby once an applicant has passed selection, a copy of the applicant's general practitioner records are requested for scrutiny by occupational clinical staff. Evaluation of this process will be carried out and made available to the other two services.

Iraq

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK personnel injured in Iraq since 2003 have been treated in each  (a) British and  (b) Coalition hospital in (i) the Middle East and (ii) Cyprus; and what type of injury was sustained in each case.

Des Browne: In total, 386 UK personnel serving on Telic were treated at the Role 3 Facility in Cyprus, 19 of whom returned to their units in theatre after treatment. The remaining 367 personnel were sent back to the UK either for additional treatment or to their units. Of the 386 personnel, 33 were treated for wounds received as a result of hostile action and 353 for disease and non-battle injuries. All personnel treated at the medical facility in Cyprus are included in the aeromedically evacuation reporting published on the MOD website.
	As far as we know no UK personnel injured in Iraq were treated in any other British or Coalition hospital in the Middle East outside the Telic area of operations.

Iraq

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what injuries were entered into individual unit logs for those units involved in Operation Telic.

Des Browne: A unit's operational records should include copies of all routine documentation produced during an operational tour.
	Since October 2005 units have been specifically tasked to provide a daily update of all injuries to personnel and vehicles from major causes. Prior to this units were not specifically tasked to do this and the information recorded for the early phases of Operation Telic is therefore not comprehensive and has not been extracted from the rest of the documentation produced by the unit. Further detail relating to the period prior to October 2005 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Joint Personnel Administration

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Defence 
	(1)  how many former RAF personnel  (a) pensions payments and  (b) redundancy payments have been missed since 20 March 2006 under Joint Personnel Administration; and how many are still awaiting payment;
	(2)  how many complaints have been received from members of the armed forces about Joint Personnel Administration;
	(3)  why RAF personnel were not paid correctly under Joint Personnel Administration; and what action his Department has taken to rectify that situation;
	(4)  what he has identified as the main obstacles to the full roll out of Joint Personnel Administration; and what steps his Department is taking to overcome these obstacles;
	(5)  how many  (a) salary and  (b) expense payments to serving RAF personnel have been missed since20 March under Joint Personnel Administration; and how many are still awaiting payment;
	(6)  how many people will be remunerated by the Joint Personnel Administration once it is fully rolled out to all services.

Tom Watson: Due to the increased numbers of those leaving the RAF in April as a result of the recent redundancy exercise, coupled with the rollout of JPA at the same time, it was not possible to process all terminal grant payments, Special capital payments and pension payments within the normal five days target. During April and May some 1,830 awards were processed for those leaving the RAF, of which 1,395 were paid outside of the five-day target from being discharged. However, in all but six cases payments were made within 30 days, with the remainder paid shortly thereafter. There are now no outstanding payments.
	The first JPA payroll in April successfully delivered pay, including allowances and charges to the vast majority of RAF personnel (42,104 out of 48,743). The 6,639 pay inaccuracies (over and underpayments) were caused by several factors: some were due to existing data errors transferred over from the legacy systems, some were input errors, and some were discrepancies in flying pay. The majority of flying pay was correctly paid by 2 May; a small number of RAF personnel were paid their April entitlement in their May payments. The second (May) payroll has been much more successful with only some 1,175 personnel still affected by pay inaccuracies.
	Some salary payments were late as a result of the simultaneous introduction of a new system of overseas bank payments. Overseas payments were achieved within a few days of the due date and alternative local cash payments were arranged. There have also been some difficulties with the automated payment of expenses for official journeys. In April these affected nearly 4,000 personnel and in May approximately 600.
	The total number of personnel JPA will pay once it is fully rolled out is approximately 280,000. The Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency has received some 14 pieces of ministerial correspondence on behalf of constituents. As at 21 June 2006 there have been no formal grievances from individual users about JPA.
	Full roll-out of JPA is dependent upon the Defence Information Infrastructure (DII) programme. Alternative business processes are being developed for those who will not have self-service access when JPA goes live to their service.

Missile Defence

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of  (a) the threat to the UK of long-range missiles being developed by(i) North Korea, (ii) Iran, (iii) China and (iv) other countries and  (b) by when such missiles might be militarily deployable.

Des Browne: We continually monitor the capabilities of non-NATO nations to target the United Kingdom with long-range missiles.
	North Korea has an active programme to develop long-range missiles which could have the potential to reach the UK. It is unlikely to have a militarily deployable capability against the UK within the next five years.
	Iran already has short and medium-range missiles in service, and its potential for developing long-range missiles which could reach UK has been recognised for some time. It is unlikely to have a militarily deployable capability against the UK within the next 10 years.
	China has a deployed force of Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) which could reach the UK.
	In relation to other countries, Russia has numerous deployed Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles, Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles and Cruise missiles, which could reach the UK.

Nuclear Weapons

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the Government spent in relation to their nuclear weapons in each of the last five years.

Des Browne: Trident is our only nuclear weapons system. Since the Trident nuclear deterrent became operational in 1994, annual expenditure for capital and operating costs, including the costs for the Atomic Weapons Establishment, has ranged between 3 and4.5 per cent. of the annual defence budget.

Public Pensions (Transferability)

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what measures the Department has put in place to assist pension transferability of public pensions for members of the armed forces pension scheme.

Tom Watson: All public service schemes pay cash equivalent transfer values to other pension schemes in respect of accrued rights in compliance with pensions law. Under the fair deal for staff pensions, there isa requirement to transfer pension rights when employments are transferred to the private sector under public-private partnerships/public finance initiatives. Public service scheme members can also transfer accrued pension rights by way of the Public Sector Transfer Club. The club is a network of public and private sector occupational pension schemeswhich makes it easier for employees who move between employers covered by separate participating schemes to transfer their accrued pension rights.

RAF Air Tankers

John Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions RAF air tankers have undergone non-emergency  (a) first,  (b) second, (c) third and  (d) fourth time maintenance outside the UK in the last five years; where the maintenance took place; for what reasons the locations were chosen; and what the cost of the maintenance was in each year.

Adam Ingram: The RAF currently operates Tristar and VC10 aircraft to provide both a strategic air refuelling (AR) and Air Transport (AT) capability. Some airframes can be used in either the AR or AT role.
	Scheduled "forward" (formerly first line) maintenance for the VC10 and Tristar aircraft is undertaken within the UK. When deployed on operations some 'forward' maintenance is carried out at RAF bases overseas. However, records for this work are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Scheduled "depth" (formerly second, third and fourth line) maintenance for the VC10 is undertaken within the UK and for the Tristar has been carried out under contract by Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Company (GAMCO) in Abu Dhabi since 1997. GAMCO won this contract in open competition.
	The cost of providing scheduled 'depth' maintenance to Tristar aircraft that can operate in either the AR or AT role is set out in the following table. Information for 2001 is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the table does include the projected costfor 2006.
	
		
			   Number of aircraft  Total cost (£ million) 
			 2002 2 1 
			 2003 4 1 
			 2004 6 1 
			 2005 6 3 
			 2006 5 2

Records Management

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what rules are in the Joint Service Defence Records Management Manual concerning retention of  (a) records concerning changes of policy and instructions and  (b) documentation on the reasons for changes made.

Tom Watson: Joint Service Publication 441—The Defence Records Management Manual—identifies effective methods of storing information in a coherent manner and of reviewing and disposing information in an efficient and cost-effective way in order to comply with the Public Records Acts 1958 and 1965. The principle is that material of historic value should be identified for permanent preservation, and that other material should be destroyed as soon as there is no business need for it. The wide variety of activities within the Department means that many decisions must be taken locally. However, the manual includes in an illustrative list of records likely to warrant permanent preservation, those that:
	Illustrate the formation/evolution of Defence policy
	Contain important decisions relating to the organisation, disposition or use of the armed forces
	Show the reasons for important decisions or actions or provide precedents.

School Cadet Forces

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the announcement on 27 June on the creation of six new state school cadet units, what discussions he had with the Department of Education and Skills on this matter.

Tom Watson: The list of candidate schools for the pilot Combined Cadet Force expansion scheme has been developed with the full assistance of officials at the Department for Education and Skills as outlinedto the house on 27 April 2006,  Official Report,column 1267.

School Cadet Forces

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of people who are willing to support and take part in state school cadet schemes.

Tom Watson: As a Ministry of Defence sponsored voluntary youth organisation that does not advertiseit is extremely difficult to assess the number of individuals willing to support the combined cadet force scheme. Identification of suitable volunteers to operate a combined cadet force contingent is the responsibility of the school's head teacher. To date the Department is aware of nine state schools that have expressed an interest in forming combined cadet force contingents and have sufficient volunteers to support the contingents. This is in addition to the volunteers supporting the 52 state schools CCF already established.

Work and Pensions Select Committee

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what actions have been taken by his Department to implement Work and Pensions Select Committee recommendations since the 2001-02 Session; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: The information requested by thehon. Member is not held centrally and can beprovided only at disproportionate cost. However, the recommendations set out in the Defence Select Committee and other Select Committee reports are given very careful consideration by Defence Ministers and Ministry of Defence officials and we seek to implement them when we can. The Government Response to Select Committee reports makes clear whether the Committee's recommendations are accepted.

London Olympics

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what arrangements have been made to improve the facilities at Bisley for the Olympics in 2012; and how much funding has been allocated;
	(2)  what facilities are being erected at Woolwich which are connected to the 2012 Olympic shooting events due to take place at Bisley.

Richard Caborn: As the shooting events for the London 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be held at Woolwich Arsenal, currently there are no arrangements to further improve facilities at Bisley for the Games.
	However, Sport England provided £6 million in lottery funding to improve the shooting facilities at Bisley for the Manchester Commonwealth Gamesin 2002.

Advertising Expenditure

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1407W, on advertising, what the reason was for the increase in expenditure on advertising between 2004-05 and 2005-06.

David Lammy: The increase in expenditure on advertising between 2004-05 and 2005-06 was due a one off information campaign directly targeted at small independent businesses, to help them understand the provisions of the new licensing act. This include advertising in the regional and specialist press throughout England and Wales.

Delisted Buildings

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which Bills introduced in the last30 years have contained provisions to delist listed buildings.

David Lammy: There have been no previous Bills containing provisions to de-list listed buildings.

Digital Coverage

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to increase digital coverage in rural areas.

Shaun Woodward: The vast majority of households in rural areas can receive digital TV services via digital satellite, terrestrial or cable. Take up of digital TV is61 per cent. in rural areas. Digital switchover will happen across the whole country between 2008 and 2012 in the following order.
	
		
			   Rural Area 
			 2008 Border 
			 2009 West Country, HTV Wales, Granada 
			 2010 HTV West, Grampian, Scottish Television 
			 2011 Yorkshire, Anglia, Central 
			 2012 Meridian, Carlton/LWT (London), Tyne Tees, Ulster. 
		
	
	After switchover UK digital terrestrial television coverage will match the current analogue coverage of 98.5 per cent.

Digital Coverage

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the proposed date is for digital television switchover in each parliamentary constituency in the UK.

Shaun Woodward: Digital switchover is being rolled out in relation to ITV regions and will happen between 2008 and 2012 in the following order:
	
		
			   ITV region 
			 2008 Border 
			 2009 West Country, HTV Wales, Granada 
			 2010 HTV West, Grampian, Scottish Television 
			 2011 Yorkshire, Anglia, Central 
			 2012 Meridian, Carlton/LWT (London), Tyne Tees, Ulster 
		
	
	I will soon be writing to hon. Members to give them more details on switchover
	implementation.

Engagements

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the time and date was of the appointments from his ministerial diary cancelled by the hon. Member for St. Helens, South since his appointment to her Department.

Shaun Woodward: My office does not maintain records of cancelled appointments.
	Cancellation of appointments from time to timeis regrettable though often unavoidable due tomy ministerial obligations and commitments to Parliament. When appointments are cancelled they are, where possible, rearranged at an appropriate time and as much notice as possible is given to minimise disruption to others.

Fixture Lists

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if her Department will bring forward measures to ensure sports can gain copyright to their fixture lists as recommended by the Independent Sports Review.

Richard Caborn: The first step following publication of the review is for all interested parties to consider its recommendations very carefully before deciding whether these should be implemented and, if so, how.
	My officials and legal advisors are consultingwith other Government Departments, the football authorities and other interested sporting bodies. I intend to respond formally to the review in September.

Gambling

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss with Ofcom increased regulation of the sponsorship of television programmes by gambling companies.

Shaun Woodward: In relation to broadcasting, Parliament has given Ofcom the duty of setting standards for the sponsorship of radio and television programmes.
	Under the Gambling Act 2005 OFCOM will continue to set, review and revise standards for the sponsoring of television programmes by gambling operators. I understand that Ofcom, the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice and the Gambling Commission are in discussion about the future regulation of this area to ensure consistent and appropriate standards across media.

Gambling

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss with the banking industry possible measures to tackle misuse of credit and debit cards by underage people on internet gambling websites.

Richard Caborn: While the final responsibility for age verification rests with the online gambling industry, Ministers and officials have met several times with international financial institutions to discuss these issues. We will build on, and develop, these relationships to inform our international summiton remote gambling to explore the development of international standards on social responsibility.
	We are also supportive of the efforts that the industry is making to engage the banking sector.

Kingsbridge Amateur Theatrical Society

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Culture, Media and Sport, if she will attend a performance by the Kingsbridge Amateur Theatrical Society.

David Lammy: Amateur theatre plays a unique role in the UK's cultural life and I recognise the importance of amateur groups such as the Kingsbridge Amateur Theatrical Society.
	Arts Council England funds a number of organisations who support voluntary and community groups including the Voluntary Arts Network, which supports over 300 organisations across the country.
	Neither the Secretary of State nor I have any plans to attend a performance by the group.

Live Music

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to support live music and encourage the participation of young people.

Shaun Woodward: In 2004 we established the Live Music Forum to promote live performance. It has brokered the creation of music making spaces for young people in Wrexham and in Camberwell, and is looking at ways of adapting and rolling out those models.
	We also support young people's music making through the Music Manifesto and through the national charity Youth Music, with £10 million per year of National Lottery funding, which has reached over 1 million young people to date.

London Bombings

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport which constituencies are home to survivors of the 7 July London bombings.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 26 June 2006
	My Department holds full address details for 240 survivors of the London bombings. From that information,we believe these survivors live in the following constituencies:
	Aberavon
	Aylesbury
	Barking
	Bassetlaw
	Battersea
	Beaconsfield
	Beckenham
	Bethnal Green and Bow
	Billericay
	Bracknell
	Braintree
	Brent East
	Brent North
	Brentwood and Ongar
	Bromley and Chislehurst
	Broxbourne
	Buckingham
	Cannock Chase
	Cardiff West
	Chingford and Woodford Green
	Chipping Barnet
	Christchurch
	Cities of London and Westminster
	Croydon Central
	Croydon North
	Croydon South
	Dartford
	Denton and Reddish
	Ealing, Southall
	Edmonton
	Eltham
	Enfield North
	Enfield, Southgate
	Epping Forest
	Erith and Thamesmead
	Esher and Walton
	Finchley and Golders Green
	Hackney North and Stoke Newington
	Hackney South and Shoreditch
	Hammersmith and Fulham
	Hampstead and Highgate
	Harrow East
	Harwich
	Hemel Hempstead
	Hendon
	Hertford and Stortford
	Hertsmere
	Hitchen and Harpenden
	Holborn and St Pancras
	Hornchurch
	Hornsey and Wood Green
	Hove
	Huddersfield
	Huntingdon
	Ilford North
	Ilford South
	Islington North
	Islington South and Finsbury
	Leeds East
	Leeds West
	Lewisham West
	Lewisham, Deptford
	Maidenhead
	Maidstone and The Weald
	Maldon and East Chelmsford
	Manchester, Blackley
	Manchester, Gorton
	Mid Bedfordshire
	Mid Sussex
	North East Bedfordshire
	North East Hertfordshire
	North Tyneside
	North West Cambridgeshire
	Northampton North
	Norwich North
	Orpington
	Peterborough
	Poplar and Canning Town
	Preston
	Putney
	Rayleigh
	Reading West
	Regent's Park and Kensington North
	Romford
	Rugby and Kenilworth
	Rutland and Melton
	Saffron Walden
	South Cambridgeshire
	South Norfolk
	South West Hertfordshire
	St. Albans
	St. Helens South
	Stevenage
	Stockport
	Stroud
	Surrey Heath
	Tooting
	Tottenham
	Wallasey
	Walthamstow
	Warwick and Leamington
	Watford
	Wealden Wellingborough
	Welwyn and Hatfield
	Wimbledon
	Witney
	Worcester

School Sport

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress is being made in meeting the two hour sport participation target for school children.

Richard Caborn: The National School Sport Strategy Public Service Agreement overall objective is to increase the percentage of 5 to 16-year-olds who spend a minimum of 2 hours each week on high quality PE and school sport, within and beyond the curriculum, to 75 per cent. by 2006 and 85 per cent. by 2008.
	The 2004-05 school sport survey confirmed the National School Sport Strategy is making good progress—overall, 69 per cent. of pupils in partnership schools participate in at least two or more hours of high quality PE and school sport each week, an increase of 11 per cent. since the 2003-04 survey. The 2005-06 survey is in progress and the results will be published in the autumn.

Sports Facilities

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what public funding is available to  (a) local authorities and  (b) other providers for the improvement of sports facilities.

Richard Caborn: By the end of 2006, Government and the national lottery distributing bodies will have committed £1 billion to develop new or refurbished public sports facilities through programmes such as the Community Club Development Programme (CCDP), Active England and New Opportunities for PE and Sport. A further £40 million is available for CCDP in the period 2006-08.
	Over the next three years, we expect around£1 billion to be available for investment by local authorities on sports services, including sports facilities, and the Building Schools for the Future initiative will provide local education authorities with £6.5 billion for capital investment in secondary schools, part of which will go towards sports facilities.

Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act

Greg Hands: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what recent representations the Electoral Commission has received regarding section 5 of the Political Parties, Elections and ReferendumsAct 2000.

Peter Viggers: Section 5 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 requires the Electoral Commission to report on the administration of certain elections and referendums. The Commission informs me that it is currently reviewing the way in which it carries out its responsibilities under this section. Following consultation with a wide range of stakeholders, responses have been received from 46 individuals and organisations.

Church Repairs

Anne McIntosh: To ask the hon. Memberfor Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what the take-up was of grants to pay for church repairs in 2005-06.

Stuart Bell: In 2005-6, the English Heritage/Heritage Lottery Fund joint scheme offered new grants and enhancements to existing grants which together totalled £24,465,309. As far as I am aware, all the offers were accepted.
	In addition, grants totalling £999,000 were offered to 26 cathedrals and 24 of these offers (worth £971,000) were accepted.
	£12,498,019 was also paid out in England in reimbursement of VAT under the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.

Tithe Redemption Annuities

Robert Key: To ask the hon. Memberfor Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what factors were taken into account when deciding that tithe redemption annuities should cease to be payable.

Stuart Bell: In 1976 the Government announced that as there were sufficient funds in the tithe account to service the existing redemption stock and, as the costs of administering the scheme were high, tithe redemption annuities should be extinguished. Final payments were to be made in 1976 and 1977. Legislative effect was given to this in the Finance Act 1976. The Board of Inland Revenue handled the matter on the Government's behalf.

Welsh Police Forces

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the effect on overall police  (a) numbers and  (b) funding in Wales of the proposed amalgamation of the four Welsh police forces.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	The case for the amalgamation of the four police forces in North Wales which was published in March suggested that such a force would have 7,613 officers and would lead to total annual savings of around£16 million.

National Audit Office

John Mann: To ask the Chairman of thePublic Accounts Commission what assessment the Commission has made of whether the National Audit Office has sufficient resources available to enable it to examine the value for money of claims handling agreements for miners' compensation.

Alan Williams: The Comptroller and Auditor General has decided to include an examination of the Coal Health Compensation Schemes in his 2007-08 value for money programme which will be considered by the Committee of Public Accounts on 12 July. Work is planned to begin later this year. The forward National Audit Office programme is a matter for the Comptroller and Auditor General and the Committee of Public Accounts.

Bus Loans

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister whetherhis Government has lent a double decker bus to (a) organisations,  (b) political parties,  (c) campaigns and  (d) other governments; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: The information requested is not held centrally.

EU Finance

Graham Brady: To ask the Prime Minister whether he was consulted by the Chancellor of the Exchequer before representations were made to the EU Commission in the week commencing 19 June to re-open discussions about the UK abatement.

Tony Blair: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

New Aircraft

Iris Robinson: To ask the Prime Minister what the projected total cost is of purchasing new aircraft for his use and that of members of the Royal Family; what the annual  (a) running costs and  (b) costs of cabin staff and pilots' salaries are expected to be; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made by the right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Hilary Armstrong), on 29 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 19-21WS.

United Arab Emirates

Michael Fallon: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has visited the United Arab Emirates on official business since May 1997.

Tony Blair: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information on the number of officials accompanying Ministers on overseas visits is included in the list. All Ministers' travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in chapter 10 of the ministerial code, and the accompanying guidance document, "Travel by Ministers". Information for the year 2005-06 will be published as soon as it is ready.

Child Access

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many parents with care have been imprisoned in the last five years for ignoring court orders and obstructing access to children by their non-resident parent.

Harriet Harman: Information on how many parents with care have been imprisoned in the last five years for ignoring court orders and obstructing access to children by their non-resident is not recorded. However, the figures in the table show the number of people remanded under custody. These cases include those sentenced to prison and those kept in police cells. The table also shows the number of people remanded on bail or for medical reports.
	
		
			  Financial Year  Bail  Custody  Medical Reports  Total 
			 2001-02 158 352 9 519 
			 2002-03 203 504 16 723 
			 2003-04 217 616 8 841 
			 2004-05 225 565 10 800 
			 2005-06 253 576 2 831 
		
	
	The figures in the table are from the county and High Courts only and relate to the breach of Family Law Act 1996 orders.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average cost to her Department was of replying to a letter written  (a) by an hon. Member and  (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that sum is accounted for by (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs.

Vera Baird: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performanceof Departments in replying to Members/Peers' correspondence. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 76-78WS. The information requested is not recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Foreign Travel

Philip Davies: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how much was spent on foreign travel by her Department in each of the last eight years.

Vera Baird: The costs for foreign travel (in eachyear since 1997) are not separately identifiable withinthe Department's accounts without incurring disproportionate costs.
	The Department has published rules for official travel in its staff handbook, and all travel is undertaken in accordance with the guidelines set out in the "Civil Service Management Code". In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government also published annually the cost of all ministers visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House and they report information for the financial years 1995-96 to 2005-06. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in the "Ministerial Code" and "Travel by Ministers", copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

Operation Payback

Harry Cohen: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of Operation Payback; whether it has operated in (a) Redbridge and  (b) Waltham Forest; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The last Operation Payback initiative (Operation Payback 3) took place between 15 to23 October 2005. Operation Payback 3 was undertaken by all 42 HMCS areas including north-east London, which covers Redbridge and Waltham Forest.
	A reduction in financial penalties outstanding of £2.09 million can be specifically attributed to Operation Payback 3. In total, the three Operation Paybacks undertaken to date have reduced court debt by over £4.5 million.

A120(T)

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the conclusions were of the stage 1 study into the improvements of the A120(T) in relation to the proposed Bathside Bay development in Harwich; when a decision will be made on formal planning permission; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Planning permission for the Bathside Bay development was granted on 29 March this year—subject to final approval of an appropriate road scheme by Ministers.
	The developer funded study into options to improve the A120(T) in relation to the proposed development is still under way. It is expected to be completed in September. In the light of this the Secretary of State will decide which, if any of the road options, should be put to public consultation, which could then take place early next year.

Bus Fares

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the practice of some bus companies which require local authorities to reimburse them under the national travel scheme on the basis of two single fares rather than a return fare where this would be applicable; what estimate he has made of the resulting cost to local authorities; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: None. The main principle which applies to reimbursement is that bus operators are 'no better/no worse off' as a result of taking part in concessionary fares schemes. Reimbursement for lost revenue should be based on the average amount each concessionary traveller would have paid in the absence of the scheme (the average equivalent full fare).
	It is for each Concessionary Travel Authority and its bus operators to reach local agreement on the appropriate 'average fare'. Reimbursement payments are subject to audits of ticket sales data and, if the authority requires further information, on-bus surveys of patronage.

Olympics

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what undertakings were entered into with the organisers of the Olympic Games concerning the journey time between Heathrow and Weymouth; what the journey time is; and what plans there are to meet those undertakings.

Gillian Merron: In the Candidature File, submitted to the International Olympic Committee in November 2004, London 2012 estimated a journey time of 2 hours 20 minutes for the 206km journey. It is now for the Olympic Delivery Authority, in preparing its Olympic Transport Plan, to set out the detailed transportation arrangements for each Olympic venue.

Seat Belts

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) lives which will be saved and  (b) injuries which will be reduced by the enactment of the Draft Motor Vehicles (Wearing of Seat Belts) (Amendment) Regulations 2006; when these regulations will be brought into force; what recent discussions he hashad with (i) motoring organisations and (ii) the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transportation Safety on the wearing of seat belts; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: An estimate of the reduction of casualties which may be achieved by these Regulations is given in the regulatory impact assessment available on-line at http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_ rdsafety_611256.hcsp .
	The draft regulations were laid before Parliamenton 14 June with a date for coming into effect of18 September 2006. Motoring organisations and the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transportation Safety responded to the public consultation on the proposed changes which was carried out in 2005. A summary of the responses is available on line at: http://www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/page/dft_rdsafety_611255-03.hcsp#P71_12154.

Sleepy Drivers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many road accidents were caused  (a) directly and  (b) indirectly as a result of the driver of a motor vehicle driving (i) while feeling drowsy and (ii) falling asleep while driving in each year since 1996, broken down by (A) age group, (B) sex and (C) region;
	(2)  what research his Department  (a) has undertaken,  (b) plans to undertake and  (c) has evaluated into (i) the (A) age and (B) number of(1) males and (2) females who drive while feeling drowsy, (ii) the frequency of driving while drowsy and (iii) the number of road accidents caused because the driver was drowsy; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to encourage persons aged 17 to 24 years of the dangers of driving while feeling drowsy; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to myanswer of 28 November 2005,  Official Report, column 153W, to the hon. Member for South Swindon(Anne Snelgrove). The Department's research reports are published at www.dft.gov.uk/stellent/groups/dft_rdsafety/documents/divisionhomepage/032513.hcsp. Research Reports 21, 22 and 52 are relevant to driver sleepiness and report 43 is relevant to accident contributory factors. Research into motorcycle rider fatigue and accident risk is ongoing. The Department's publicity programme on driver tiredness is aimed at drivers of all ages.

Birds

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 21 November 2005,  Official Report, column 1526W, on birds, whether Essex county council has concluded its investigation into Pegasus Birds; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The investigation was completed in April 2006. The investigating officer's report concluded that, despite procedural irregularities at the facility, the quarantine procedures for imported birds worked, and avian influenza was successfully detected. Following recommendations from the investigation, both the director and manager of Pegasus Birds received written cautions.
	DEFRA and Essex Trading Standards learnt from the experience. DEFRA commissioned an independent review of avian quarantine for captive birds, which was published on 15 December 2005. The Government response to the review is available on the DEFRA website:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/diseases/control/avianquarantine/gov-strategy/index.htm.

Climate Change

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many young ambassadors for climate change have been identified under the Climate Change Communication Initiative;
	(2)  how much has been spent under the Climate Change Communications Initiative, broken down by project.

Ian Pearson: Nine champions have been chosen in the Climate Change Champions Competition 2006, one from each region in England.
	In February 2005, funding of £12 million for the period 2005-06—2007-08 was announced for the Climate Change Communications Initiative, with£6 million of that being made available for Climate Challenge Fund projects. This month, the Government announced that awards would be made to 53 projects under the fund (totalling £2.6 million in 2006-07 and £2.2 million in 2007-08). A breakdown is provided in the following table. A number of further projects are currently under discussion. More information is available at: www.climatechange.gov.uk.
	
		
			  £ 
			2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 AE001 IVCA Ltd 66,140.00 72,250.00 138,390.00 
			 AE007 Cambridge Carbon Footprint 5,160.00 0.00 5,160.00 
			 AE008 Scouts Association 13,789.00 19,435.00 33,224.00 
			 AE009 National Trust 103,700.00 10,000.00 113,700.00 
			 AE010 Forkbeard Fantasy 25,100.00 52,598.00 77,698.00 
			 AE011 The National Energy Foundation (NEF) 142,000.00 153,500.00 295,500.00 
			 AE012 National Federation of Women's Institutes 27,600.00 27,600.00 55,200.00 
			 AE013 School Councils UK 80,700.00 14,700.00 95,400.00 
			 AE014 Global Action Plan 49,230.00 — 49,230.00 
			 AE015 British Association for the Advancement of Science 30,000.00 — 30,000.00 
			 AE016 WMnet: West Midlands Regional Broadband Consortium 75,000.00 85,000.00 160,000.00 
			 AE134 Forum for the Future 123,566.00 47,940.00 171,506.00 
			 AE040 New Economics Foundation 103,834.00 145,311.00 249,145.00 
			 AE041 Royal Geographical Society 29,000.00 69,750.00 98,750.00 
			 AE042 Yigal Allon Educational Trust 49,480.00 — 49,480.00 
			 EE003 Cambridge Carbon Footprint 16,284.00 17,750.00 34,034.00 
			 EE013 Ipswich Borough Council 44,098.00 — 44,098.00 
			 EE023 University of East Anglia 16,245.00 — 16,245.00 
			 EM002 Bolsover Drama Group — 6,850.00 6,850.00 
			 EM003 The Wellingborough Partnership 6,700.00 — 6,700.00 
			 FM020 Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire Local Authorities' Energy Partnership 207,500.00 171,500.00 379,000.00 
			 LON012 The Friends of Finsbury Park (FoFP) 14,434.00 — 14,434.00 
			 LON013 Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea 18,450.00 3,550.00 22,000.00 
			 LON024 Greater London Authority 229,500.00 187,500.00 417,000.00 
			 LON039 London Borough of Bromley 30,000.00 31,000.00 61,000.00 
			 LON041 London Sustainability Exchange (LSx) 40,856.00 98,277.00 139,133.00 
			 LON071 London Borough of Sutton 73,000.00 75,750.00 148,750.00 
			 NE003 Langdon Beck YHA 18,300.00 — 18,300.00 
			 NE012 Sunderland City Council 20,500.00 15,000.00 35,500.00 
			 NE021 Helix Arts 40,941.00 51,931.00 92,872.00 
			 NW010 Sustainability Northwest 22,061.00 17,810.00 39,871.00 
			 NW013 Rite2no-young people's climate change project/Parklands High School 7,396.00 32,414.00 39,810.00 
			 NW046 Liverpool World Centre 29,210.00 38,671.00 67,881.00 
			 SE032 The Chancellor, Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford 78,000.00 122,000.00 200,000.00 
			 SE070 The National Energy Foundation (NEF) 98,750.00 86,000.00 184,750.00 
			 SE075 Thames Valley Energy Centre 13,590.00 0.00 13,590.00 
			 SW004 Dartmoor National Park Authority 7,500.00 0.00 7,500.00 
			 SW023 Westden 12,700.00 16,150.00 28,850.00 
			 SW042 Devon Development Education 35,750.00 39,917.00 75,667.00 
			 SW051 Centre for Sustainable Energy 139,928.00 73,303.00 213,231.00 
			 SW093 Community Energy Plus 28,990.00 56,330.00 85,320.00 
			 WM001 Stoke on Trent City Council 50,771.00 47,949.00 98,720.00 
			 WM008 WMnet: West Midlands Regional Broadband Consortium 95,000.00 95,000.00 190,000.00 
			 WM020 Castle Vale Community Housing Association 16,100.00 0.00 16,100.00 
			 WM026 The Rural Media Company 40,700.00 1,300.00 42,000.00 
			 WM031 Winterbourne Botanic Garden 10,150.00 0.00 10,150.00 
			 WM033 Tide-Teachers in Development Education 27,000.00 21,250.00 48,250.00 
			 WM038 Big Brum Theatre in Education Company 13,355.00 — 13,355.00 
			 YH010 Stockholm Environment Institute 26,115.00 33,642.00 59,757.00 
			 YH023 Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust 57,000.00 40,000.00 97,000.00 
			 YH026 Calderdale Sustainability Forum Ltd. 53,266.00 44,375.00 97,641.00 
			 YH049 Kingston Upon Hull City Council 42,689.00 68,728.00 111,417.00 
			 YH053 Taleem Youth Forum 9,390.00 — 9,390.00 
			 — Total 2,616,518.00 2,192,031.00 4,808,549.00

Energy Efficiency

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the likely impact of  (a) home information packs and (b) the home condition report on improving energy efficiency.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The Home Condition Report within the pack will provide buyers and sellers with an assessment of the energy efficiency and carbon emissions of the home, as well as advice on measures that can be taken to improve these. This will enable buyers to consider energy efficiency in choosing their new home, and will give sellers and new owners reliable advice on how to make improvements. This and other information in the Home Condition Report will raise awareness of energy efficiency and property condition and are expected to contribute to an overall improvement in housing stock and reduced carbon emissions.

Environmental Special Grants

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) purpose and  (b) value was of each special grant awarded to City of York council for environmental purposes since 1997.

Ian Pearson: holding answer 20 June 2006
	As well as the annual funding allocation under Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services (EPCS) block of the revenue support grant, City of York council has received a number of additional grants from DEFRA to support improvements in local waste management, provide household incentives for recycling and develop kerbside recycling and composting. The following table shows the breakdown of the funds provided and projects supported.
	
		
			  Funding type  Funding description  Funding start date  Funding end date  Funding amount (£) 
			 Local Authority Support Unit Direct Consultancy Support Procurement: partnership development 1 April 2004 31 March 2005 36,015 
			  
			 National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund (Round 3) Recycling centre project: household waste recycling centre 1 April 2004 31 March 2006 350,000 
			  
			 Grant to relieve spending pressures Grant to local authorities targeted to relieve spending pressures on waste management in 2004-05 1 April 2004 31 March 2005 50,700 
			  
			 Recycling awareness Funding from the waste and resources action programme as a partner with North Yorkshire authorities in raise awareness of recycling 1 April 2004 31 March 2006 18,500 
			  
			 Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant Capital: £82,006.62   145,790 
			  Revenue: £63,782.92
			  
			 Local Authority Support Unit Direct Consultancy Support York and North Yorkshire Waste Management Partnership (YNYWMP) and Joint Municipal Waste Management Strategy (JMWMS)—revision and development 1 April 2005 31 March 2006 72,182 
			  
			 Household Incentives 4 x 6 month pilot schemes: four incentive pilots for a six month period starting October 2005. All authorities will run the first two pilots but can elect to undertake the third and fourth 1 April 2005 31 March 2006 23,400 
			  
			 Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant Capital: £193853 1 April 2006 31 March 2007 38,7705 
			  Revenue: £193853
			  
			 Waste Performance and Efficiency Grant Capital: £203037 1 April 2007 31 March 2008 406,075 
			  Revenue: £203037
		
	
	It will take some time for the Department to gather information on any further special grants whichhave been awarded to City of York council for environmental purposes since 1997. I will write to the hon. Member with any additional information.

Marine Bill

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for the introduction of the draft Marine Bill; and whether he plans to submit it for pre-legislative scrutiny;

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when he expects to publish a draft Marine Bill; and whether he plans to submit it for pre-legislative scrutiny;

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what the timescale is for the introduction of the draft Marine Bill; and if he will make a statement;

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a draft Marine Bill will be published in the current parliamentary session.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA published a consultation document on 29 March 2006 that outlined the Government's thinking in a number of key areas that will be addressed by a Marine Bill. The consultation period three months. We will need to take the consultation responses into account before taking a decision on the timing of and arrangements for further consultation on detailed proposals or a draft Bill. Introduction of a Marine Bill will follow later in this Parliament, subject to the availability of Parliamentary time.

Renewable Energy (Residential Properties)

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what grants his Department makes available to enable people to have access to  (a) solar heating and  (b) other forms of renewable microgeneration in residential properties.

Ian Pearson: The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has the lead responsibility for renewable energy and microgeneration. The DTI-funded Clear Skies Programme was replaced by their Low Carbon Buildings Programme on 1 April 2006, which will operate for three years. The programme is managed by the Energy Saving Trust and provides grants for solar heating and other microgeneration technologies alongside energy efficiency measures to householders, community organisations, the public sector and business.

Single Payment Scheme

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of claimants are waiting to receive (a) their Single Farm Payment in full and  (b) any Single Farm Payments; and what the total value of payments is which remain to be paid.

Barry Gardiner: The following figures are calculated against a claimant population for the 2005 Single Payment Scheme (SPS) of 120,000 claims and are, consequently, likely to overstate the true position as the total number claimants who will receive a payment will be somewhat lower. This is because account has to be taken of duplicate claims, consolidation of multiple claims into single business claims, voluntary withdrawals, claimants not activating entitlements and claims subject to 100 per cent. penalties.
	At close of business on 27 June 2006, approximately 31,500 claimants have yet to receive their full payment. This represents 26 per cent. of an estimated 120,000 claims, approximately half of which have received a partial payment.
	Approximately 14,500 claimants (12 per cent. of an estimated 120,000 claims) have yet to receive any payment. Most of these claims are worth less than €1,000.
	Out of a total available fund of an estimated£1.5 billion, £1,415,817,581.80 has already been paid to farmers.
	Work is continuing by the Rural Payments Agencyto pay as many claims as possible using a variety of methods by the end of the payment window on30 June.

Sustainable Food Strategy

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what definition of significant was used when setting the aim of significantly reducing the environmental costs of domestic food transportation by 2012 in the sustainable food strategy.

Ben Bradshaw: The word "significant" was used in its common meaning, i.e. important or meaningful. The food industry sustainability strategy provides for a process to be set up with industry
	"to consider the practical implications associated with it securing significant reductions (say 20 per cent. by 2012) in the level of external costs associated with the domestic transportation of food."
	An industry-led champions' group will consider the feasibility of this proposed target and determine what additional measures might be necessary to achieve it.

Waste and Resources Action Programme

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  whether the Waste and Resources Action Programme Real Nappy Initiative aimed to divert 35,000 tonnes of waste  (a) in each year from 2003 to 2006 and  (b) in total;
	(2)  how much disposable nappy waste has been diverted by the Waste and Resources Action Programme's Real Nappy Initiative; and what its targets are for such diversion.

Ben Bradshaw: The target of the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) Real Nappy programme target was to convert an additional 155,000 households to real nappy use by April 2006, and in the process divert 35,000 tonnes per annum of disposable nappy waste from landfill.
	WRAP reports annually on its overall progress in meeting targets, including work under the Real Nappy Programme. It is scheduled to report on its achievements for the business plan period up to 2006 soon. At the outset of the programme, 91 per cent. of expectant parents said they intended to use disposable nappies. Work done for the Environment Agency suggested the figure may be higher at 94 per cent. WRAP intends to survey parents again at the end of the programme and to establish the change in intended behaviour. An estimate of the diversion will be made and published by WRAP at that time taking account of the survey and other quantitative evidence.

Waste Management

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what controls are in place in to monitor waste intended for recycling to ensure that it is not re-routed to a landfill site.

Ben Bradshaw: There is no evidence of large scale or repeated landfilling of recyclables, but material collected for recycling is occasionally sent to landfill if it is badly contaminated.
	It is not in the interest of local authorities to send recyclable material to landfill because of the requirement to meet statutory recycling targets for household waste, tough landfill diversion targets for municipal waste, and the need to avoid the increasing cost of landfill.

Child Support Agency

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many children have non-resident parents with a Child Support Agency liability.

James Plaskitt: holding answer 22 June 2006
	The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the right, hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Hilary Reynolds dated 3 July 2006:
	In reply to your parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave, I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many children have non-resident parents with a Child Support Agency liability.
	At the end of March 2006 there were 1,507,000 children that had a non-resident parent with a Child Support Agency liability. This includes nil liabilities.
	I hope you find this useful

Child Support Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the software to handle the migration of old system cases onto the new system was delivered to the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is the matter for the chief executive. He will write to the right hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Hilary Reynolds:
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently unavailable, I am responding on his behalf.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when the software to handle the migration of old system cases onto the new system was delivered to the Child Support Agency.
	There are two parts to the process of moving from the old computer system (CSCS) to the new system (CS2); firstly migration of the cases across the computer systems and secondly the conversion of those cases from the old scheme to the new scheme.
	The software to enable bulk migration of cases from the old computer system to the new computer system was delivered in May 2005. The Initial Conversion software to enable the conversion of cases from the old scheme to the new scheme was delivered in March 2006. These are both necessary to support migration and conversion. However, before bulk migration and conversion could take place defects in the new computer system would need to be resolved. A number of software releases have been scheduled for between now and the end of 2007, designed to remove the large majority of existing defects. A large data cleansing exercise would need to be completed to support successful conversion.
	I hope you find this useful.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost to his Department was of replying to a letter written  (a) by an hon. Member and  (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available; and how much of that sum is accounted for by (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs.

James Plaskitt: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performanceof Departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 76-78WS.
	The information requested is not recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Crisis Loans

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State forWork and Pensions how many crisis loans have been  (a) applied for and  (b) granted in each local authority area in Scotland in each of the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. The table gives information for Scotland as a whole.
	
		
			  Crisis loans in Scotland 
			  Number 
			   Applications  Initial awards 
			 2001-02 308,000 213,000 
			 2002-03 312,000 222,000 
			 2003-04 327,000 226,000 
			 2004-05 303,000 209,000 
			 2005-06 326,000 224,000 
			  Notes: 1. Data is not available by local authority, but only by Jobcentre Plus district (or, before Jobcentre Plus districts were used for the administration of the social fund, by social fund district). 2. Very substantial district boundary changes took place in Scotland over the period November 2002 to April 2003 and again from November 2004 to January 2005, with one further change in January 2006. It is therefore not possible to compare data over five years for any area smaller than Scotland, except for the area now covered by the Jobcentre Plus district of Edinburgh, Lothian and Borders. 3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 1,000.  Source: DWP Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System.

Departmental Bills

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list those Government Bills sponsored by his Department that are still to be introduced during the 2005-06 Session.

Anne McGuire: The Government will bring forward in this Session the welfare reform legislation set out in the Queen's Speech on 17 May 2005 to reform support for housing costs and establish benefits which will facilitate a return to employment, while offering long-term support for those unable to work.

Flags

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on how many days since May 1997 theSt. George's flag has been flown from his Department's buildings.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 15 June 2006
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issue the guidance for flying flags on Government buildings, which includes the list of dates, to Government Departments every year, usually the end of December. This includes flying the St. George's Flag onSt. George's day, 23 April and the European Flag on Europe Day, 9 May. They also inform Government Departments as and when there are any additional flag flying days. The Department for Work and Pensions will adhere to this guidance.
	The guidance can be found on the Departmentfor Culture, Media and Sport website at www.culture.gov.uk/flagflying.
	The Department for Work and Pensions was formed in June 2001 therefore the St. George's flag has been flown five times from Department's buildings.

Flags

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his Department's policy is on flying the  (a) St. George's flag and  (b) EU flag from departmental buildings.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 15 June 2006
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issue the guidance for flying flags on Government buildings, which includes the list of dates, to Government Departments every year, usually the end of December. This includes flying the St. George's flag onSt. George's day, the 23 April and European flag on Europe day, the 9 May. They also inform Government Departments as and when there are any additional flag flying days. The Department for Work and Pensions will adhere to this guidance.
	The guidance can be found on the Departmentfor Culture, Media and Sport website at www.culture.gov.uk/flagflying

Flags

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will ensure the Union flag is flown from his Department's buildings on every day the offices are open.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 15 June 2006
	The Department for Work and Pensions follows the rules and guidance on flag flying issued by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. These rules are approved by the Queen on advice from the Department. There are no plans at present to change the number of days flags can be flown from Government buildings.
	Guidance can be found on the Departmentfor Culture, Media and Sport website at www.culture.gov.uk/flagflying.

Pensions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on  (a) improving protection for employees' pension schemes and  (b) increasing the amount held in the Pension Protection Fund.

James Purnell: Both the Secretary of State and I have regular meetings with ministerial colleagues in Treasury to discuss a range of pension issues. Recent discussions led to our being able to announce a significant extension to the financial assistance scheme, increasing the total funding to £2.3 billion.

Allotments/Open Space

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes have been made to planning  (a) guidance,  (b) circulars and  (c) regulations relating to (i) allotments and(ii) building on land classified as open space since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Current planning policy guidance on allotments and open space is set out in PPG17: Open Space, Sport and Recreation, published in 2002. This provides enhanced protection from development for all types of open space. In particular, PPG17 indicates that open space should not be built on unless an assessment has been undertaken that has clearly shown that the open space is surplus to requirements. It also includes specific policies to protect playing fields from development. These policies are supported by the Town and Country Planning (Playing Fields) (England) Direction 1998 which gives the Secretary of State for Communities and local government the power to call in planning applications affecting playing fields where local authorities have not resolved Sport England's objections.
	Allotments are included in the typology of open spaces to which the policies in PPG17 to protect open space apply. In addition, statutory allotments are protected via section 8 of the Allotments Act 1925 which requires that local authorities seek the Secretary of State's consent for disposal or appropriation to another use. Consent cannot be given unless the Secretary of State is satisfied that certain criteria are met. Clarified criteria were issued to local authorities in February 2001.
	The options for consolidating existing allotments legislation were considered following the DETR Select Committee Report, "The Future of Allotments", in 1998 and it was decided that the best way to clarify the legislation was by promoting best practice. A good practice guide on the management of allotments and a guide for plot holders were published in 2001.

Competent Persons Scheme

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made in implementing the competent persons scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The first competent person schemes were introduced in 2002 to reduce the administrative burden of the Building Regulations by allowing self-certification of compliance with the relevant Building Regulations by enterprises and individuals judged as competent, as an alternative to submitting a building notice or using an approved inspector. The aim was to enhance compliance, reduce costs for firms, promote training and competence within the industry, tackle the problem of non-compliant builders and assist local authorities with enforcement of the Building Regulations.
	The schemes were extended to cover electrical safety in 2005. In April 2006, in support of the new higher standards of energy efficiency required by Part L, further schemes were introduced to cover the installation of bathrooms and bathroom fittings, plumbing, heating systems and hot water service systems, ventilation and air conditioning, lighting systems, electric heating systems and associated controls, air pressure testing of buildings, carbon dioxide emission rate calculations and the installation of replacement windows and doors.

Council Housing

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the recent Court of Appeal decision in the cases of Hassan Ismael and Nimco Abdi against the London borough of Barnet.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	In the case of London borough of Barnet  v. Abdi and Ismail, the applicants were both EEA nationals who were economically inactive and were not "qualified persons" for the purpose of regulation 5 of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2000. The status of 'qualified person' under those regulations relates to whether or not a person has a right to reside in the United Kingdom under European Union law, for example as a worker. The Court of Appeal found that the applicants were subject to immigration control as they did not have a right to reside. This would have meant the applicants were eligible for homelessness assistance under the housing rules which then applied to persons subject to immigration control, in a way that was not intended.
	To close this loophole, the Government have made regulations to narrow the classes of eligibility for social housing and homelessness assistance for persons subject to immigration control. The effect of this is to ensure that nationals from the European Economic Area (EEA) who are economically inactive and do not have a right to reside in the UK are not eligible for social housing and homelessness assistance in England (unless, exceptionally, they fall into one of the other classes of eligibility that relate to persons subject to immigration control). The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Amendment) Regulations 2006 came into force on 20 April.
	The new regulations reinforce the measures introduced in May 2004, and will help ensure that people cannot come to the United Kingdom simply to get access to the social welfare system.

Green Spaces

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to protect green spaces in urban areas.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government are taking to improve inner-city green spaces.

Yvette Cooper: This Government's programmes for improving urban parks and green spaces are set out in our reports "Living Places—Cleaner, Safer, Greener" (ODPM 2002), and "Sustainable communities: building for the future" (ODPM 2003).
	Available evidence shows that the programmes are working. For example, public satisfaction in parks and green spaces rose by 8 per cent. from 63 per cent. to71 per cent. between 2001 and 2004 (ODPM, 2004). The National Audit Office's recent report on the performance of our programmes also found that:
	"84% of urban local authorities believe the quality of their park is stable or improving. This compares to less than 44% in 2000. In 2000 more than 55% of urban local authorities considered their historic green spaces were declining in quality. This had fallen to 16% in 2005".
	It also concluded that:
	"Initiatives led by the Office of Deputy Prime Minister have helped to reverse the decline in the quality of urban green space in many of England's urban neighbourhoods".
	(NAO March 2006).

Home Improvements

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses in Morley and Rothwell have had improvements under the decent homes standard scheme; and what the cost of such improvements has been.

Yvette Cooper: Information is collected at local authority level only. Leeds metropolitan borough (including Morley and Rothwell) reports that in 2004-05 (the latest year for which information is available), 34,388 local authority-owned homes were included in their capital programme for that year at a cost of £77 million. The work carried out includes incremental improvement of non-decent stock (only a proportion of which will become decent as a result of elemental works); prevention of homes becoming non-decent; and wider housing and environmental improvements to estates. The total expenditure on this type of works in Leeds over the period 2001-02 to 2004-05 was £199 million(1.) However it is not possible to state how many homes have been improved as a result of this total expenditure since 2001-02 as the majority of dwellings will have had work undertaken on them under more than one programme.
	( 1)  Source:
	Business Plan Annual Monitoring returns.

Home Information Packs

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department  (a) has spent to date and  (b) plans to spend to promote awareness of home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have a duty to inform property professions, stakeholders and homebuyers and sellers about the forthcoming change in the law. Expenditure for the 2005-06 financial year was £706,000. This includes the cost of an extensive trade advertising campaign to raise awareness of the June 2007 implementation date within the home buying and selling professions.
	Planned expenditure of £2,500,000 for 2006-07 includes continued awareness raising within the professions and a national and regional advertising campaign to raise awareness of home information packs among consumers, during the dry run.
	In 2007-08 we expect to run a major information campaign for consumers which would include marketing, advertising and publicity. The extent of the campaign and the level of investment will be decided later in the year on the basis of the experience of the dry run.

Home Information Packs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the principle of 'caveat emptor' will continue to apply to house purchasers in relation to home information packs; whether standard conditions of sale in house purchase contracts will be able to exclude the vendor from any future liability as a result of information contained in home information packs after contracts have been exchanged; and whether members of the public will have electronic access to full individual reports stored in the Home Condition Report Register.

Yvette Cooper: The principle of 'caveat emptor' will continue to apply.
	Sellers are unlikely to be the source of most of the documents required for home information packs—it is the author who remains liable for the contents of individual documents. Where the seller has made statements or representations in the pack, the lawfulness of any attempt to exclude liability for such statements would be for a court to decide. However, it is expected that the position will be no different to that in relation to statements currently made by a seller before contracts are exchanged—in particular, the Misrepresentation Act 1967 requires that any such contractual terms must be fair and reasonable, and the buyer would be entitled to damages if they entered into the contract following a misrepresentation and they suffered loss as a result.
	The only people who will have access to the register of Home Condition Reports will be buyers and sellers, their advisers and mortgage lenders, and those monitoring the performance and quality of the reports.

Home Information Packs

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which organisations are entitled to produce home information packs; what guidelines are in place on what should be included; and what avenues exist for a leaseholder to refuse to pay for a pack that is inferior or defective in information required.

Yvette Cooper: There are no restrictions on those who are able to put together Home Information Packs. The Packs will normally be commissioned by sellers or their agents from providers willing and able to undertake this role for a consideration. The contents of the Packs are prescribed in regulations made under the Housing Act 2004.
	Leaseholders will be able to seek redress in the same way as freeholders, either from the Pack provider or from their agent, depending on the source of their complaint.

Home Information Packs

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government in which areas home information pack will be piloted; and what opportunities there will be to bring forward their introduction if buyer and vendor agree to this.

Yvette Cooper: Home Information Packs (HIPs) will be tested on a voluntary basis throughout England and Wales during the period leading up to 1 June 2007. Packs that contain home condition reports prepared by certified home inspectors should be available from October 2006. HIP providers are expected to trial the packs in a number of areas after this date; the areas have yet to be confirmed.

Home Information Packs

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Communities and Local Government how the (a) quality and  (b) accuracy of facts provided in home information packs will be monitored; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The quality and accuracy of documents included in the HIP will be the responsibility of the provider of the document (as is the case under the current system). For example, the home inspector will be responsible for the home condition report, search providers for their reports and the seller for the forms they complete. The principle of caveat emptor will still apply, and the buyer's conveyancer should ensure they are satisfied with the information provided. Consumers will be able to get redress if they incur a loss due to inaccurate information.

Homelessness

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have been identified as homeless in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation, which is collected in respect of households rather than persons, is summarised in a quarterly Statistical Release, the latest of which was published by the Department for Communities and Local Government on 12 June.
	Table 3 provides the number of households accepted by local authorities as unintentionally homeless and in a priority need category, and consequently owed a main homelessness duty, in each year since 1997. Table 6 presents those in temporary accommodation arranged by local authorities at the end of each quarter since March 1997.
	Copies are available in the Library, and from the DCLG website at http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID=2169.
	The duty owed to a person accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available. As an alternative to the provision of temporary accommodation some authorities arrange for households to remain in their current accommodation (homeless at home) until a settled solution becomes available.
	Information is also collected by the Department on the number of people who sleep rough; that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night. These are shown as follows:
	
		
			   Rough sleepers (number of people) 
			 2001 703 
			 2002 596 
			 2003 504 
			 2004 508 
			 2005 459

Housing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when figures will be published on the average sale price of the homes built under her Department's £60,000 homes scheme.

Yvette Cooper: The Design for Manufacture competition is being run by English Partnerships on behalf of the Department for Communities and Local Government. It includes 10 sites across England which are currently in public sector ownership. Each of the 10 sites chosen for the competition is being sold to the successful developers in the usual way. It is anticipated that there will be mixed tenure on each site in order to ensure mixed communities, with some homes being available for affordable rent, some under shared equity and some for private sale. Around 50 per cent. of the homes will be affordable either social renting or shared equity homes. For example, shared equity in two bedroom homes on the first sites will be sold for between £55,000 and £70,000. The homes for full sales will need to take account of the land value as well as the construction costs, and their price will be set by the developers in accordance with the market conditions at the time. Therefore, the actual sales costs will be known once the homes are built on site and details finalised in accordance with market conditions at the time.

Housing

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people were classified as  (a) homeless and  (b) unsuitably housed in each year since 1990-91; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected in respect of households rather than persons. The number of households accepted by local authorities in England as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and consequently owed the main homelessness duty, in each year since 1990-91; and the number of households in temporary accommodation arranged by the authority under homelessness legislation as at 31 March of each year, are tabled as follows. From 1998, information has also been collected on the number of people who sleep rough—that is, those who are literally roofless on a single night—and these are presented as follows.
	
		
			   Households accepted as owed a main duty during the year  Households in temporary accommodation at end of year (31 March) 
			 1990-91 139,290 50,000 
			 1991-92 139,630 62,090 
			 1992-93 136,230 61,380 
			 1993-94 125,360 52,340 
			 1994-95 116,850 46,350 
			 1995-96 116,550 43,240 
			 1996-97 110,810 41,250 
			 1997-98 102,430 47,520 
			 1998-99 104,260 56,580 
			 1999-2000 105,580 65,170 
			 2000-01 114,670 75,200 
			 2001-02 116,660 80,210 
			 2002-03 128,540 89,040 
			 2003-04 135,430 97,680 
			 2004-05 120,860 101,070 
			 2005-06 (1)— (1)— 
		
	
	
		
			   Rough sleepers (number of persons) June 
			 1998 1,850 
			 1999 1,633 
			 2000 1,180 
			 2001 703 
			 2002 596 
			 2003 504 
			 2004 508 
			 2005 459 
			 (1) Not yet available Sources: DCLG P1E Homelessness returns (quarterly); andHousing Strategy Statistical Appendix (annual) (for rough sleepers data) 
		
	
	There is no general definition of 'unsuitable' housing. The available estimates for the number of unfit homes (as defined by section 604 of the 1989 Local Government and Housing Act) are provided in the following table. This shows a decline from around 1.5 million in 1991 to around 1 million currently. The small differences 2001 to 2004 are not statistically significant.
	
		
			  Number of unfit homes in England, 1991-2004 
			   Number (Thousand)  Percentage of all homes 
			 1991 1,498 7.6 
			 1996 1,522 7.5 
			 2001 902 4.3 
			 2003 1,005 4.7 
			 2004 985 4.6 
			  Note:Unfit homes are those which fail the statutory minimum standard as defined by the Fitness Standard and, since April 1996, the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. Source:DCLG: English House Condition Surveys

Housing

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will amend the planning regulations to make it mandatory for all  (a) new build housing and  (b) conversions to incorporate photo-voltaics and wind turbine technology wherever practicable.

Yvette Cooper: Planning Policy Statement 22 Renewable Energy allows local authorities to set targets for the percentage of energy in new developments that should come from renewable sources. In a ministerial statement on 8 June I announced the results of a survey by my Department that showed a large percentage of authorities preparing new style local development frameworks were including such policies in their plans. It is essential that all planning authorities adopt the positive approach to renewables set out in PPS22 at the earliest opportunity in their plan-making. In particular the Government expect all planning authorities to include policies in their development plans that require a percentage of the energy in new developments to come from on-site renewables where it is viable.
	The Government's forthcoming draft planning policy statement on climate change will be an opportunity to consider further how the planning process more generally can help combat climate change by extending the contribution of renewables from both on-site and off-site sources.

Housing

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new  (a) private houses and  (b) units of social housing were built in (i) Greater London and (ii) Bexley borough in (A) 2001 and (B) 2005.

Yvette Cooper: The numbers of new private houses and units of social houses built in Greater London and the borough of Bexley are tabled below. New units of social housing includes all those built by local authorities and registered social landlords for sub-market rent, but does not include those sold below market value to groups such as key workers. Information on social housing is for financial years and figures for 2005-06 are not yet available. Local authorities can use section 106 negotiations on new residential developments to support new social housing.
	
		
			  Number of new dwellings built in London and the borough of Bexley 
			   2001-02  2004-05  2005-06 
			  London
			 Private (new build) 10,510 17,937 13,318 
			 Social rent (new build) 4,228 4,054 — 
			 
			  Bexley
			 Private (new build) 196 101 103 
			 Social rent (new build) 6 21 — 
			  Source: P2 returns from local authorities to DCLG, Housing Corporation.

Housing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many social housing tenancies have been demoted as a result of antisocial behaviour since their introduction.

Angela Smith: The DCLG has requested that local authorities supply data on the number of secure tenancies they have demoted. The first returns for 2005-06 will be published later in the summer.
	The Housing Corporation commenced the collection of this data a year earlier. Its regulatory and statistical returns for 2004-05, indicate that registered social landlords demoted 76 tenancies from June 2004 (when this tool first became available to April 2005).

Housing

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to increase the regional housing target for the South East from the 28,900 per annum target from 2006 to 2026 adopted by the South East Regional Assembly.

Yvette Cooper: Current housing targets for the South East are set out in the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) and subsequent revisions for the Growth Areas. In reviewing this guidance, the South East Regional Assembly has submitted a draft Regional Spatial Strategy in which they propose housing targets for the South East. It would be inappropriate for the Secretary of State to pre-empt the outcome of the forthcoming Examination in Public into the draft South East Plan by commenting on the housing targets proposed by the South East Regional Assembly.

Housing

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on housing targets in the South East, with particular reference to the report commissioned by the Government Office for the South East from Roger Tym and partners.

Yvette Cooper: Current housing targets for the South East are set out in the Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9) and subsequent revisions for the Growth Areas. In reviewing this guidance, the South East Regional Assembly has submitted a draft Regional Spatial Strategy in which they propose housing targets for the South East. The Government commissioned Roger Tym and Partners to look at alternative levels of growth to provide independent evidence for an informed debate of the draft Spatial Strategy at the forthcoming Examination in Public. This report is not a statement of the Government's preference on housing numbers. Any statement on housing targets at this stage would be inappropriate and pre-empt the outcome of the forthcoming Examination in Public.

Housing

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what discussions she has had with the Council for the Protection of Rural England on the building of new houses in each region; with whom in the organisation; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: On 21 March this year spoke at the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England (CPRE) led seminar on The Evidence Base on Housing; and discussed the overall need for new homes. Neither I nor the Secretary of State have had separate discussions with the CPRE about individual regions. However, the CPRE contributed to the Affordable Rural Housing Commission's report and are contributing to the regional planning process.

Housing

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of new homes in each region have been designated as affordable housing in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The table shows the proportion of newly built homes defined as affordable in each region ("affordable homes" are those provided at submarket rent or for shared ownership). These affordable homes have been provided through Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme, Local Authority Social Housing Grant and through section 106 planning agreements negotiated by local authorities.
	
		
			  Newly built dwellings defined as affordable 
			  Percentage 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06( 1) 
			 North-east 15 13 11 9 12 5 8 9 11 
			 North-west 16 18 13 13 13 13 8 9 6 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 14 12 10 10 9 7 8 7 7 
			 East Midlands 12 11 9 10 9 7 9 9 11 
			 West Midlands 17 16 17 14 13 16 12 15 15 
			 East 13 15 10 12 12 11 12 13 14 
			 London 32 31 31 30 24 26 30 24 26 
			 South-east 19 19 15 15 14 16 18 18 20 
			 South-west 16 15 15 13 14 13 16 15 15 
			 England 17 17 14 15 14 13 14 14 15 
			 (1) Provisional. 
		
	
	Section 106 data have been collected only from 2000-01 but is not yet available for 2005-06.
	This information does not include new affordable homes provided through acquisition and refurbishment for both social rent and low cost home ownership.

Housing

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households on average were in temporary housing in each region in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation, which includes the number of households living in temporary accommodation, is summarised in the Department's quarterly Statistical Release on statutory homelessness. The latest Release, covering statistics to the end of March 2006, was published on 12 June. Copies are available in the Library, and from the ODPMwebsite at:
	http://www.odpm.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1002882&PressNoticeID=2095
	Table 7 presents a regional summary of all households in temporary accommodation arranged by local authorities, as at the end of each quarter since March 1997.
	The duty owed to a person accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available. As an alternative to the provision of temporary accommodation some authorities arrange for households to remain in their current accommodation (homeless at home), until a settled solution becomes available.
	Our strategy, "Sustainable Communities: Settled Homes, Changing Lives", sets out the challenging aim to halve the number of households in insecure temporary accommodation by 2010.

Housing

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of vulnerable people living in homes that fall below the decent homes standard.

Yvette Cooper: The English House Condition Survey annually publishes estimates of the number and proportion of 'vulnerable' households living in homes that fall below the decent homes standard. The latest figures available are for April 2003 when there were 2,034,000 such households in the private and social sectors (36 per cent. of all vulnerable households). Vulnerable households are defined for the purposes of the Decent Homes programme in "A Decent Home: Definition and Guidance for Implementation—June 2006 Update", available on the website at www.communities.gov.uk/ under 'housing'/'making homes decent'.

Housing

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much money has been allocated by the Government for local authority schemes to help improve the homes of vulnerable people living in private accommodation.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have made£388 million available in capital grant to local authorities in 2006-07 to support their private sector housing capital investment programmes, including meeting the Decent Homes standard for vulnerable people in the private sector.

Housing

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1394W, on housing, which local authorities are able to meet the decent homes standard on the basis of Government investment; and which local authorities she expects to be unable to meet the standard without taking advantage of the additional investment options mentioned.

Yvette Cooper: 98 local authorities have put plans in place to deliver decent homes through the resources directly from Government and their own resources without using the arms length management organisation (ALMO), stock transfer or PFI programmes. A list of these authorities has been placed in the Library of the House.
	246 local authorities have used, or are expected to use, one or more of the three options for additional investment (ALMO, LSVT or PFI). A list of these authorities has been placed in the Library of the House.
	There are a number of authorities which are reconsidering their investment options, following the need to change their original plans. These authorities have yet to confirm whether they will deliver decent homes without using additional investment.

Housing

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1394W, on housing, what the timetable is for further bidding rounds for the investment options mentioned; and how much additional funding will be made available from central Government for each option.

Yvette Cooper: Applications for the round 6 arm's length management organisation (ALMO) programme, and the 2006 large-scale voluntary transfer programme (LSVT) are due by the end of July. We aim to announce the outcome at the end of September. The funding available to deliver these options will be determined through the comprehensive spending review.
	The application period for the round 5 housing PFI programme closed on 31 March, 14 bids where received. We aim to announce the outcome of the PFI bidding round by the end of July. The funding for these schemes will come from the £1.2 billion allocated in the 2004 spending review. Funding for future bidding rounds will depend on the outcome of the CSR.

Housing

Fraser Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  if she will ask the Housing Corporation to increase its allocation under the National Affordable Housing Programme 2006-08 to the bid submitted by Housing 21 in partnership with Sunderland city council to fund developments across the city of Sunderland;
	(2)  what criteria the Housing Corporation took into account when deciding the size of the allocation under the National Affordable Housing Programme 2006-08 scheme to the bid submitted by Housing 21 in partnership with Sunderland city council to fund developments across the city of Sunderland;
	(3)  if she will ask the Housing Corporation to publish in advance the guidance it will follow in future decisions under the National Affordable Housing Programme on allocation of finances to local projects, with particular reference to extra care developments;
	(4)  what factors the Housing Corporation took into account when deciding not to allocate finance for plans by the Sunderland housing group for an extra care scheme at Houghton under the National Affordable Housing Programme 2006-08;
	(5)  what assessment she has made of the adequacyof the allocation of resources to the bid by Housing21 in partnership with Sunderland city council from the National Affordable Housing Programme 2006-08.

Yvette Cooper: The Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) is a competitive bidding round.
	In assessing bids the Corporation used a two stage process for the 2006-08 AHP round. Bids were assessed for compliance with the competition requirements as follows:
	(i) Additionality—grant must be necessary for the affordable housing to be delivered;
	(ii) Rent levels in accordance with Corporation or statutory rent regimes to ensure affordability;
	(iii) Schemes must be financially independent;
	(iv) Schemes must meet or exceed the minimum standards covering design and quality (expressed through the Corporation's Scheme Development Standards, Housing Quality Indicator system, and a Very Good EcoHomes rating);
	(v) Schemes must start on site by 31 March 2008;
	(vi) Schemes must complete before 31 March 2011;
	(vii) Schemes must conform to the relevant regional housing board priorities;
	(viii) Schemes must meet management and maintenance standards (for housing associations schemes must comply with all of the Corporation's regulatory requirements in relation to the management and maintenance of affordable homes);
	(ix) Bidders must have the capacity to enter into a programme agreement.
	Bids which met these competition requirements were then subject to competitive assessment using four criteria:
	Value-for-money;
	Quality;
	Fit with regional and local housing strategies;
	Deliverability within the programme time scale.
	The Housing Corporation assessed that the bids from Housing 21 and the extra care scheme at Houghton submitted by the Sunderland housing group did not represent value for money compared to other bids received.
	The Housing Corporation is continuing to work with registered social landlords and Sunderland city council over future housing needs in the city.
	The Housing Corporation intends to publish it's prospectus for the next bidding round in summer 2007. This will set out the general criteria including that for extra care schemes.

Housing

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  how many cases have been decided by local authorities under section 185(4) of the Housing Act 1996 where the outcome has proved incompatible with article 14 of the European convention on human rights, where all proceedings are complete; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how many representations she has received in respect of the decision of the Court of Appeal that section 185(4) of the Housing Act 1996 is incompatible with article 14 of the European convention on human rights; what plans she has to rectify the situation; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: EWHC 1184 (CA), and another bythe High Court in the case of the Queen (on the application of) Gabaj and the First Secretary of State, CO 7458/2005. In both cases, the court proceedings are complete. The Government are currently considering how to remedy the incompatibility. The Department has received one representation about the decision of the Court of Appeal (from the Housing Law Practitioners Association).

Housing (Wirral)

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what progress has been made towards the decent home standards for social housing in Wirral West; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: According to Annual Regulatory Statistical Return (RSR) 2005, the total social housing stock in Wirral was 23,235 of these 8,815 or 38 per cent. failed the Decent Homes Standard. Of the former council stock now owned by Wirral Partnership Homes, 59 per cent. of homes failed the standard.
	Wirral Partnership Homes has started its stock investment programme and is confident that it will meet the Decent Homes Standard by 2010. Many associated benefits will flow from this work including regeneration, improved housing management performance and tenant empowerment.
	We do not hold any specific data for Wirral West, data is recorded at local authority level.

Housing (Luton)

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of  (a) black and ethnic minority and  (b) all households are classified as overcrowded in (a) Luton, (b) Bedfordshire and (c) England.

Yvette Cooper: Using the bedroom standard, the estimated proportion of black and minority ethnic households in England that were overcrowded during the three years 2002-03 to 2004/05 was 10.7 per cent. The equivalent figure for all households was 2.5 per cent.
	These figures were derived from the Survey of English Housing. Reliable figures for areas as small as Luton and Bedfordshire are not available on a regular basis because the survey sample sizes are too small.
	An ad hoc report based on combined data from both the Survey of English Housing and the Department for Work and Pension's Family Resources Survey for the three years 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03 provides estimates of overcrowding (across all households) of4 per cent. in Luton and 1 per cent. in Bedfordshire. Separate estimates for black and minority ethnic households are not available.

Housing (Luton)

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will list the bids for Housing Corporation funding submitted by Luton council in each of the last five years for  (a) general family housing and  (b) elderly housing.

Yvette Cooper: No bids were made by Luton borough council for the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme (AHP) 2005-06 or 2006-08 these being the first opportunities for local authorities to bid for Housing Corporation funding after the change in legislation following the Housing Act 2004 which allowed bodies not registered with the Housing Corporation to bid for funding.
	All bids for the Luton borough council area were made by registered social landlords and other developers. The following tables show accepted new build bids for Housing Corporation Affordable Housing Programme funds over the last five years and for the last bidding round of 2006-08. The tables identify which client group these schemes have been primarily identified for. To be successful bids needed to meet the criteria set out in the answer given on 3 July 2006 to my hon. Friend's question 80517, in particular meeting Regional Housing Board priorities.
	
		
			  2001-02 
			  RSL name  Programme  Heading  Scheme  Units  £  Client group 
			 Jephson Homes Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Bury Park Luton Rehabs Phase 8 23 1,578,039 Gen needs 
			 Presentation Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Dallow Rd 19 691,385 Gen needs 
			 Aldwyck Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Croda Factory Site 27 1,554,390 Gen needs 
			 The Guinness Trust ADP RENT Rockley Road 16 539,011 Gen needs 
			New build/rehab total 85 4,362,825 — 
		
	
	
		
			  2002-03 
			  RSL name  Programme  Heading  Scheme  Units  £  Client group 
			 Jephson Homes Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Bury Park Luton Rehabs Phase 9 8 677,802 Gen needs 
			New build/rehab total 8 677,802  
		
	
	
		
			  2003-04 
			  RSL name  Programme  Heading  Scheme  Units  £  Client group 
			 Home Group Limited ADP RENT Apple Grove G/w Luton Frail/elderly 40 2,329,545 Elderly persons 
			 Home Group Limited ADP RENT Apple Grove G/w Luton Bungalows 16 444,237 Elderly persons 
			 The Papworth Trust ADP RENT Electrolux Site, Oakley Road 9 652,000 Gen needs (incl phys dis) 
			 Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Electrolux—Oakely Rd 20 922,429 Gen needs 
			 Jephson Homes Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Westbourne Road 6 643,640 Gen needs 
			 Presentation Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Electrolux SI06 Site 19 1,059,160 Gen needs 
			 Bedfordshire Pilgrims Housing Association Limited ADP SALE Electrolux—Oakley Rd 5 103,528 Gen needs 
			 Aldwyck Housing Association Limited ADP SALE Croda Lcho 6 131,843 Gen needs 
			New build/rehab total 121 6,286,382  
		
	
	
		
			  2004-06 
			  RSL name  Programme  Heading  Scheme  Units  £  Client group 
			 Arc Partnership Bedfordshire ADPKW KWL intermediate rent Aldwyck House Old Post Office 6 154,857 Key worker 
			 Pilgrims Housing Association Limited Bedfordshire ADP RENT Studley Road, Luton 27 1,181,043 Gen needs (incl phys dis) 
			 Pilgrims Housing Association Limited Bedfordshire ADP RENT Downlands Day Centre, Luton 6 330,000 Gen needs 
			 Pilgrims Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Downlands site, Luton—Papworth 8 765,000 Gen needs 
			 Jephson Homes Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Midland Road 24 985,000 Gen needs 
			New build/rehab total 71 3,415,900  
		
	
	
		
			  2006-08 
			  RSL name  Programme  Heading  Scheme  Units  £  Client group 
			 Aldwyck Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Cades Close/Priestleys 1 67,957 Gen needs 
			 Aldwyck Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Brunnel Road 5 280,000 Gen needs 
			 Aldwyck Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Cades Close/Priestleys 2 75,765 Gen needs 
			 Aldwyck Housing Association Limited ADP MFRENT Millfield Road, Luton 15 455,000 Gen needs 
			 Jephson Homes Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Sundon Park Road -Luton 24 850,000 Gen needs 
			 Jephson Homes Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Rochdale and Kirkdale Court—Luton 26 3,200,000 Gen needs 
			 Presentation Housing Association Limited ADP RENT Leicester Road, Luton (Rent) 38 2,070,000 Gen needs 
			 Presentation Housing Association Limited ADP HomeBuy new build (shared ownership) Leicester Road, Luton (SO) 8 334,000 Gen needs 
			New build/rehab total 119 7,332,722  
		
	
	These tables do not include schemes funded foropen market Homebuy, Voluntary Purchase Grant, re-improvements or works to registered social landlord stock.

Local Government Finance

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will ring-fence for a period of two years the money received from the discretionary ending by local authorities of the council tax discount on empty properties for projects to bring empty properties back into use.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities raised an additional £2 million by using their powers to reduce or remove the council tax discount on empty homes in 2005-06. The Government believe that local authorities should have the freedom to apply any additional resources raised in line with local priorities rather than prescribing what these should be.

Overcrowding (Tamworth)

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Deputy Prime Ministerhow many  (a) households and  (b) children in(i) Staffordshire and (ii) Tamworth constituency are living in overcrowded accommodation.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	There are two measures of overcrowding—the statutory definition and the bedroom standard.
	Using the bedroom standard, the only recent estimate of the number of overcrowded households in Staffordshire is 3,000. This is from an ad hoc report based on combined data from both the Survey of English Housing and the Department for Work and Pension's Family Resources Survey for the three years 2000-01, 2001-02 and 2002-03.
	Reliable estimates for the number of children living in overcrowded accommodation in Staffordshire are not available. Separate data for Tamworth are also not available.
	Estimates based on the statutory standard are not available because the underlying data are not collected systematically. A one-off estimate was made in the autumn of 2001 that there were approximately 25,000 households across the whole of England that were in conditions of overcrowding that breached the statutory standard. This estimate was based on data from the Survey of English Housing for the period 1997-98 to 1999-2000 and from the 1996 English House Condition Survey. Equivalent estimates for Staffordshire are not available.

Regional Spatial Strategy

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role is envisaged for county councils in establishing the regional spatial strategy for the East Midlands.

Yvette Cooper: County councils must be consulted when regional spatial strategies are being prepared and must be given the first opportunity to make detailed proposals for sub-regional strategies. In the East Midlands, counties are fully engaged in preparing the regional spatial strategy for submission to the Secretary of State in the autumn and are chairing three sub-area working groups which will set out proposals. In addition, county council staff chair the various topic-based advisory groups that inform the development of RSS policy. Northamptonshire county council was closely involved in preparing the sub regional strategy for Milton Keynes and South Midlands that is already part of the regional spatial strategy. Once the strategy is published, county councils will be expected to help monitor its implementation.

Register of Home Condition Reports

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether  (a) mortgage lenders and  (b) estate agents will be charged to have access to the Register of Home Condition Reports electronic database.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Access to view reports will be via the local registers and will be restricted to persons prescribed by regulations. This will include buyers' and sellers' mortgage lenders and estate agents. We are currently considering the basis for charging in relation to the register, but we envisage such access will be free of charge.
	Reports must also be lodged onto the central register, by the home inspector or certification scheme. We anticipate that a fee will be charged for this registration process.

Shared Equity Scheme

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many people have participated in the Government's Shared Equity scheme since May 2005.

Yvette Cooper: Information on the number of people participating in shared equity schemes is not held centrally. However, 16,405 shared ownership and HomeBuy equity loan sales, funded through the Housing Corporation's Affordable Housing Programme, were completed between April 2005 and May 2006.

Shared Ownership (West Midlands)

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans there are to expand the number of homes available for shared ownership in the West Midlands.

Yvette Cooper: The Government award Regional Housing Pot funding to each region in England and ask Regional Housing Boards to recommend how the funding should be allocated in accordance with the Regional Housing Strategy. In the West Midlands, 2006-08 Regional Housing Pot funding has been allocated to fund provision of an additional 1,690 homes for shared ownership.
	In addition, by 2010 an estimated 1,050 new homes for shared ownership will be under construction in the West Midlands under our First Time Buyers Initiative.
	Existing social homes are also available for shared ownership through the Social HomeBuy scheme. The shared equity task force is looking at further ways to expand home ownership. People living in the Dudley area interested in shared ownership can contact the new one-stop-shop provided by Mercian Housing Association on 0845 607 6726 or find details at: www.homebuyagents.org.uk

Social Housing, Islington

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent on social housing in Islington in each year between 1979 and 2006, broken down by source.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows the total expenditure on the provision of social housing in Islington from 1997-98 through the Housing Corporation Approved Development Programme and Local Authority Social Housing Grant.
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 13 
			 1998-99 10.5 
			 1999-2000 3 
			 2000-01 8 
			 2001-02 10 
			 2002-03 24 
			 2003-04 29 
			 2004-05 14 
			 2005-06 15.5 
			  Source:Housing Corporation Annual Investment in London publication. 
		
	
	These figures include expenditure on new build schemes as well as for acquisition and refurbishment. Information on expenditure before 1997-98 is not readily accessible.

Sustainable Buildings

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Communities and Local Government what incentives for sustainable construction techniques in housebuilding have been introduced since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	The Low Carbon Buildings programme, with an£80 million budget over 3 years, provides grant support for the installation of microgeneration technologies to householders, communities and business including housebuilders.
	Furthermore, the Department has introduced a number of fiscal research initiatives since publication of Sir John Egan's reports: 'Rethinking Construction', in 1998; these have been aimed at improving the supply chain, enhancing knowledge transfer and encouraging focus upon the wider aspects of sustainability throughout the Construction Industry.

Sustainable Communities

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Meriden, of 25 May 2006,  Official Report, column 2067W, on the sustainable communities plan, if she will place inthe Library copies of the written submissions and responses by the water companies on planning for the growth areas and regional planning.

Yvette Cooper: The water companies have and will continue to make a number of representations as part of the development and review of Regional Spatial Strategies, including modifications to consider additional housing in growth areas. For example, in the recent East of England Examination In Public, Anglian Water and Thames Water both made representations to the independent panel outlining their views on the impact on water supply as a result of house building. However, such representations by water companies can be made at different stages of the planning process, both formally and informally. These are not held centrally by Government and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

Sustainable Regeneration

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the Sustainable Development Commission's Mainstreaming Sustainable Regeneration report; and what action has been taken to implement its recommendations.

Yvette Cooper: I welcome the Sustainable Development Commission "Mainstreaming Sustainable Regeneration" report as a useful contribution to bringing sustainable development principles into regeneration. Since the report was published in 2003, the Department has continued to embed sustainable development principles into its regeneration work. Examples of this work include:
	Government's "Together We Can" initiative, to enable people to engage with public bodies and influence the decisions that affect their communities;
	Establishing the Academy for Sustainable Communities to improve the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to deliver sustainable communities;
	Community renewal programmes like neighbourhood management and the Liveability Fund, which have helped co-ordinate and reshape environmental services, particularly in deprived areas;
	Establishing CABE Space, which has helped local authorities take a strategic approach and champion a renaissance in urban green spaces;
	The introduction of local area agreements as a vehicle through which many initiatives relating to sustainable communities, including regeneration, can be addressed in a joined up way by Government and local partners.
	Driving forward the sustainability of housing through such measures as the new Part L of the Building Regulations and the forthcoming introduction of the Code for Sustainable Homes;
	Reforms to the planning system, which put sustainable development at the heart of planning, both via legislation and planning guidance.

Thames Gateway

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps are being taken to ensure that the views of local people within the Thames Gateway redevelopment area are taken into account with regards to infrastructure and planning.

Yvette Cooper: The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 requires local planning authorities, including those in the Thames Gateway, to prepare a statement of community involvement for their area. The statement of community involvement sets out how the local planning authority will engage with the local community and stakeholders in the preparation of local development documents and on consultations for planning applications. Where local authorities have not adopted a statement of community involvement they are required to comply with the minimum requirements set out in the Town and Country Planning (Local Development)(England) Regulations 2004 in terms of engaging the local community and stakeholders in the preparation of local development documents.
	At the regional level, regional planning bodies are responsible for preparing draft regional spatial strategies (RSS) and are required to prepare a statement of community involvement on how they intend to engage the public and on how the public were involved in the preparation of the draft RSS. The adequacy of community involvement and how the views of the community have been taken on board is one of the tests of soundness which is considered at the public examination of the draft RSS.

Thames Gateway

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what environmental initiatives are being planned as part of the redevelopment of the Thames Gateway.

Yvette Cooper: The Government believe that communities are more successful and enjoy a better and healthier quality of life if they have easy access to an attractive well designed and managed green environment which is rich in biodiversity.
	In 2004 the Government published "Greening the Gateway", a strategy for Thames Gateway which established the principle that new and existing residential and commercial areas should be set in a network of varied and well-managed green space, known as green grids. Green grids create green pathways and wildlife corridors through commercial and residential areas to link rural and green spaces together, making them more welcoming and accessible.
	To date, £26 million has been allocated in greenspace projects from the Thames Gateway programme fund including:
	 Marshes Plan Implementation
	£1 million to enable Groundwork to develop and deliver a Marshes Plan for Dartford, Crayford and Erith, including a strategic cycle route, heritage trail and other access improvements, habitat creation and education areas.
	 Flood Storage along River Cray
	£500,000 as part of a plan to improve access down to and along the River Cray. Funding for works to improve habitat creation and optimise flood storage capacity
	 Lower Roding Valley
	£1 million for Lower River Roding valley environmental, flood alleviation and path works.
	 Rainham Marshes
	£5.25 million for this green grid flagship project, involving the construction of a continuous 3.65 km long, 3m wide footpath and cycleway across the Rainham, Wennington and Aveley Marshes (the640 hectares of which is known as the London Riverside Conservation Park).
	 Ranscombe Farm Country Park
	£665,000 towards the £l,348,000 project to create flagship country park and nature reserve, within the Kent Downs area of outstanding natural beauty and within reach of urban developments in Medway and Kent Thameside. Ranscombe Farm is one of the richest botanical sites in the British Isles and home to the single most important arable flower field in the UK. The 600 acre site also includes ancient woodland and relict fragments of chalk grassland.

Thames Gateway

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what regulations are in place in relation to the building of new housing in the Thames Gateway to reduce  (a) carbon levels,  (b) waste production,  (c) electricity use and  (d) overall environmental impact; and how the regulations will be enforced.

Yvette Cooper: Part L of the Building Regulations covers conservation of fuel and power as it relates to a building. Building Regulation standards for new housing in England and Wales have been improved by 40 per cent. since early 2002. It covers all energy used for space heating and hot water.
	Part H of the Building Regulations covers drainage and waste disposal. It states that adequate provision shall be made for storage of solid waste. It does not cover reduction of waste.
	The Building Regulations do not cover carbon levels or general environmental impact.
	The Government are also introducing a new codefor sustainable homes to go further than building regulations.
	The Government have announced a feasibility study into the extent to which we can facilitate the Thames Gateway becoming a low carbon development area within the next decade, with the ultimate goal of achieving zero carbon development area status. We envisage that the results of this work will inform future decisions about the Governments' wider approach to environmental standards within the Thames Gateway.

Visual Arts Facility

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what involvement her Department had in the decision to grant planning consent for the Visual Arts Facility at Colchester.

Yvette Cooper: The Department carefully considered all the planning issues raised about the application for a Visual Arts Facility in Colchester, in reaching the decision not to call it in for the Secretary of State's determination, the main matters relevant to this decision were her policies:
	(i) which promote high quality, inclusive design in terms of function and impact, which takes the opportunities available for improving the character and quality of an area (PPS1: Delivering Sustainable Development);
	(ii) to promote the vitality and viability of town centres by focusing development in such centres and encouraging a wide range of services in a good environment, accessible to all (PPS6: Planning for Town Centres);
	(iii) that planning permission is not refused if development can be subject to conditions that will prevent damaging impacts on wildlife habitats or other important physical features, or if other material factors are sufficient to override nature conservation considerations (PPS9: Biodiversity and Geological Conservation);
	(iv) to actively manage the pattern of urban growth to make the fullest use of public transport; focus major generators of travel demand in city, town and district centres and near to major public transport interchanges; and locate day-to-day facilities in local centres, to be accessible by walking or cycling (PPG13: Transport);
	(v) for the protection of the wider historic environment, including scheduled ancient monuments, World Heritage Sites, historic parks and gardens, historic battlefields, buildings of local importance and trees in conservation areas (PPG15: Planning and the Historic Environment);
	(vi) for the protection, enhancement and preservation of sites of archaeological interest and of their settings (PPG16: Archaeology and Planning).
	Having considered carefully these and other relevant planning issues raised by the proposal together with all representations received, and having regard to her policy on call in, the Secretary of State concluded on balance that intervention would not be justified as there was insufficient conflict with national planning policies on the above matters to warrant calling in the application for her own determination.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many of his staff are  (a) under and  (b) over 55 years of age;
	(2)  how many people over the age of 55 years have been recruited by his office in each of the last three years.

John Prescott: The latest available figures are taken at 31 December 2005, for which I refer the hon. Member to the answers given on 26 June 2006,  Official Report, column 127W by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government (Angela E. Smith).

Diversity Training

Greg Hands: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has received diversity training since becoming a Government Minister.

John Prescott: New Ministers are offered an induction course following general elections or substantial reshuffles. These are run by the National School of Government in conjunction with the Cabinet Office and Her Majesty's Treasury. I also rely on my10 years' seafaring experience, five years' experience as a union official, 36 years' experience as a Member of Parliament and nine years as a Minister in the Cabinet to help me fulfil my role to the best of my ability.
	I am fully committed to the principles of diversity. Since coming into Government in 1997, we have brought in the Civil Partnership Act 2004, Disability Discrimination Act 2005 and the Equality Act 2006, as well as the Work and Families Bill which is currently before the House. All of these measures are actively helping to promote diversity throughout our society.

Dorneywood

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Deputy Prime Ministeron how many occasions he used Dorneywood for entertainment at public expense in each yearsince 1997.

John Prescott: The position remains as in the answer given to the hon. Member by the then hon. Member for Shipley (Christopher Leslie) on28 March 2003,  Official Report, column 484W. The total cost came to £40.

Academic Selection

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Department for Education in Northern Ireland has commissioned opinion research to ascertain the views of the people of Northern Ireland on academic selection; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: In May and June of 2002, a number of questions were included in the Northern Ireland Omnibus Survey to ascertain public opinion on the key recommendations of the Post Primary Review Body (the Burns Report), as part of the multi-stranded consultation exercise. These recommendations included ending the Transfer Test; ending academic selection, the development of a Pupil Profile for all pupils, common admissions criteria for all schools and the development of collegiates. The findings of the research were published in October 2002 and are available on the Department of Education's website at www.deni.gov.uk. Responses to the main questions asked were as follows:
	
		
			  Question  Yes  No  Undecided 
			 1. Should the current Transfer Test be abolished? 54 27 19 
			 
			 2. Should academic selection be abolished? 32 54 14 
			 
			 3. Should Pupil Profiles be developed to help parents express a preference for an appropriate post-primary school for their child? 76 10 14 
			 
			 4. Should all schools be required to use the same admissions criteria? 69 21 10 
			 
			 5. Should the following admissions criteria be used to decide admissions to post-primary schools?
			 Parental Preference 73 19 8 
			 Brother or Sister attending or eldest child 66 28 6 
			 Parent working at the school 24 70 7 
			 Compelling individual circumstances 69 18 14 
			 Distance of the school from the child's home 67 28 6 
			 
			 6. Should Collegiates be established as recommended by Burns? 62 18 20

Academic Selection

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Department for Education in Northern Ireland has carried out an assessment of the findings of opinion research studies carried out by external organisations into the views of the people of Northern Ireland on academic selection as a criteria for admission to post-primary schools.

Maria Eagle: The Department of Education has not carried out an assessment of the findings of opinion research studies on academic selection carried out by external organisations. A number of consultation exercises have been carried out during the review of post-primary education to give the public and interested organisations the opportunity to make their views known and the range of views expressed is taken into account by the Government when making decisions.

Coleraine College

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary ofState for Northern Ireland pursuant to his Answer of 21 March 2006,  Official Report, column 211W, on secondary schools, what is the age of the main buildings of Coleraine College.

Maria Eagle: The North Eastern Education and Library Board has advised that the main buildings of Coleraine College were built 49 years ago.

Historical Enquiry Team

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1778W, on the Historical Enquiry Team (HET), what progress has been made on the HET's investigation into the murders of Robert and Thomas Dobson; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The police have advised that the re-examination of the case into the deaths of Robert and Thomas Dobson has comprised a desk top review from which a number of specific recommendations are being taken forward for a focused investigation. It is anticipated that this will commence shortly.

Rate Revenue

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total amount of regional rate revenue was in each of the last five years; and how much was allocated from regional rate revenue to water services in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The total amount of regional rate revenue collected in each of the last five years for which figures are available is as follows:
	
		
			   Regional rate revenue (£ million) 
			 2000-01 313.3 
			 2001-02 334.5 
			 2002-03 350.7 
			 2003-04 377.9 
			 2004-05 421.0 
		
	
	The regional rate is an un-hypothecated tax and is not allocated to specific areas of expenditure, but instead contributes to the overall resources available to the Secretary of State to allocate to regional public services in Northern Ireland.

Staff Absenteeism

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many working days have been lost to the Department and its executive agencies in each year since 1997 due to staff absenteeism, expressed as the average annual number of absent days per employee; and what the estimated cost to the Department and its agencies of absenteeism was in each year.

Paul Goggins: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency gathers this information on behalf of the Northern Ireland Departments and the Northern Ireland Office. Figures in relation to this question are only available from 2000-01 onwards.
	The figures for 2004-05 are inclusive of Northern Ireland Office, Home Civil Service staff.
	The Northern Ireland Prison Service provides independent information. They are unable to provide figures for costs prior to 2002-03.
	
		
			  Average annual number of absent days per employee 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 NIO Core — — — — 12.8 13.4 13.7 14.0 12.6 — 
			 FSNI — — — — 8.1 11.7 12.4 13.3 13.7 — 
			 Com Agency — — — — 18.7 20.9 17.4 18.1 21.0 — 
			 YJA — — — — — — — — 19.8 — 
			 NIPS 18.2 19.8 23.1 19.2 16.6 13.9 19.4 20.7 15.9 14.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Estimated cost to the Department and its Agencies 
			  £ 
			   1996-97  1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01 
			 NIO Core — — — — 745,043.7 
			 FSNI — — — — 91,026.3 
			 Comp Agency — — — — 160,128.3 
			 YJA — — — — — 
			 NIPS — — — — — 
		
	
	
		
			  £ 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 NIO Core 718,092.9 875,785.7 959,320.1 1,024,046.5 — 
			 FSNI 132,507.2 153,572.0 171,827.3 169,381.0 — 
			 Comp Agency 180,356.0 160,290.2 205,226.0 188,140.0 — 
			 YJA — — — 103,476.0 — 
			 NIPS — 4,600,000 5,100,000 3,800,000 (1)2,500,000 
			 (1) To December 2005.NIO Core = Northern Ireland OfficeFSNI = Forensic Science Northern IrelandComp Age = Compensation AgencyYJA = Youth Justice AgencyNIPS = Northern Ireland Prison Service

Street Lighting

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria are used by the Road Service when deciding on requests from those living in rural areas to have street lighting installed on main roads where there are several homes in the vicinity.

David Cairns: The Acting Chief Executive of Roads Service (Mr. Geoff Allister) has been asked to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to his question.
	 Letter from Mr. Geoff Allister, dated 3 July 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question regarding what criteria are used by the Road Service when deciding on requests from those living in rural areas to have street lighting installed on main roads where there are several homes in the vicinity.
	As this issue falls within my responsibility as Acting Chief Executive of Roads Service, I have been asked to reply.
	The following criteria is used by Roads Service in considering requests for street lighting in rural areas:
	where there is development density of at least 10 properties within a contiguous 200 metre road length;
	where investigation of night-time injury accident statistics indicates that the provision of road lighting would contribute to a reduction in the number of accidents; and
	where a "community" can be identified: A community would be regarded as a location which as well as having a number of residential properties within a defined length of road, also has 2 or more public buildings or amenities and which can be established as a centre where the local community gathers (each public building or amenity established as having a significant level of community gathers (each public building or amenity established as having a significant level of regular use in the evening period will be counted as the equivalent of 2 properties in assessing the justification for road lighting).
	The current criteria is aimed at balancing the demand for more rural lighting against the effects of increased urbanisation of the countryside, the environmental impact on plants, insects and wildlife and the financial costs of providing and maintaining additional public lighting installations.

Terrorist Prisoners

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1514W, on terrorist prisoners, how many prisoners are located in the separated accommodation in Roe House at Maghaberry Prison; and how many of them are perceived to be members of paramilitary organisations.

Paul Goggins: At 26 June there were 33 prisoners with perceived paramilitary affiliations in separated accommodation in Roe House.

Tourism

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what local government financial support there was for tourism in  (a) rural and  (b) urban areas in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: No records are held centrally to distinguish between expenditure on tourism in rural and urban areas. However, figures have been extracted from the annual accounts of each of the 26 district councils, covering the period 2000-01 to 2004-05, for which some assessment of the rural/urban split may be made.
	
		
			  £ 
			  District council  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 Antrim 384,242 382,352 131,065 137,714 411,749 
			 Ards 1,791,405 1,730,816 1,996,892 1,817,694 2,104,034 
			 Armagh 1,889,346 1,820,714 1,878,701 1,902,161 2,211,959 
			 Ballymena 244,235 291,567 2,064,865 1,732,448 1,810,093 
			 Ballymoney 195,415 256,743 290,280 353,688 376,845 
			 Banbridge 432,993 423,621 351,966 332,385 472,643 
			 Belfast 1,282,104 1,650,359 2,382,365 2,527,971 3,681,576 
			 Carrickfergus 1,345,543 1,497,345 1,174,692 903,315 782,510 
			 Castlereagh — — — — — 
			 Coleraine 2,816,931 3,160,519 3,220,908 3,120,466 3,378,541 
			 Cookstown 410,854 392,105 339,456 352,157 394,590 
			 Craigavon 450,675 429,647 469,714 449,741 428,193 
			 Derry 2,017,906 2,205,526 931,895 915,610 894,999 
			 Down 807,526 949,165 1,311,237 1,455,992 1,444,757 
			 Dungannon and S Tyrone 273,092 295,238 286,096 282,394 299,654 
			 Fermanagh 1,400,000 1,382,561 1,307,651 1,429,463 1,317,456 
			 Larne 1,278,220 1,310,224 798,512 795,748 836,148 
			 Limavady 615,142 750,351 559,619 755,216 798,045

Ulster Scots Culture

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Department of Education is taking to increase Ulster Scots cultural awareness in schools in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: The Department of Education has provided specific funding for the distribution of Ulster-Scots materials for primary schools, at the request of the Ulster-Scots Agency. The Department has also offered to provide similar support for post-primary materials when these are ready. Each school's curriculum has to promote the cultural development of its pupils. The proposed revised curriculum includes the theme of Citizenship in which pupils can learn about their own cultural traditions and heritage, as well as that of others. The Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment has been asked to ensure that, in the implementation of the revised curriculum, Ulster-Scots cultural heritage is appropriately reflected in exemplars or guidance materials for schools.

Vandalism

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the total cost was of vandalism on educational establishments in each of the last three years, broken down by education and library board area.

Maria Eagle: The cost of repairing vandalism met by each education and library board for controlled and maintained schools in the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			  Board Area  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Belfast 157 115 131 
			 Western 77 55 63 
			 North Eastern 303 180 134 
			 South Eastern 159 132 129 
			 Southern 135 157 222 
			 Total 831 639 679 
		
	
	The information for voluntary grammar and grant maintained integrated schools is not readily available and is being requested. I will write to the hon. Lady with the information as soon as possible.
	Institutions of further and higher education and universities would claim for damages from their insurers and the Department for Employment and Learning does not hold details of insurance cover or claims.

Young Carers

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many children in Northern Ireland are identified as young carers.

David Hanson: In the 2001 census, there were 398,056 children aged under 16 in Northern Ireland, of whom 5,377 were providing care to family members, friends, neighbours or others because of long-term physical or mental ill-health or disability or problems related toold age.

Administration Spending

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth how much was spent on  (a) administration and  (b) management costs by each primary care trust in England in the last year for which figures are available, expressed (i) as a percentage of their total budget and (ii) as the cost per head of population in areas they cover.

Andy Burnham: pursuant to the reply, 27 April 2006, Official Report, c. 1295W
	I regret that due to a clerical error the table placed in the Library in the previous reply is incorrect.
	The administration costs (both "as a percentage of net operating costs" and "expenditure per head") for two primary care trusts (St. Helens and Teignbridge) were shown incorrectly, and this also affected the England administration costs "expenditure per head" total figure.
	The correct table will be placed in the Library.

Alzheimer's Disease

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what answers her Department has received from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to each of the six questions asked by her Department on 13 February 2006, Gateway reference 6185, in relation to the NICE appraisal of Donepezil, Rivastigmine, Glanatmine and Memantine for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Andy Burnham: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) responses to comments received on its appraisal of these drugs have been published on NICE'S website at www.nice.org.uk.

Anaemia

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence will affect the treatment of anaemia, with particular reference to patients suffering from cancer-related exhaustion; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: We expect national health service organisations and clinicians to take full account of appraisals issued by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE has not yet issued its final guidance on Erythropoeitns for cancer-induced anaemia.

Care Homes

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the extent to which the work of the Criminal Records Bureau and the Protection of Vulnerable Adults scheme, Skills for Care, Commission for Social Care Inspection and the General Social Care Council overlaps in relation to the regulation of care homes; whether she expects thereto be overlapping responsibilities following implementation of her Department's proposals for registration of care workers; and what plans she has to establish  (a) a single body and  (b) a single access point for the inspection and regulation of care homes and their staff.

Ivan Lewis: The Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), as the statutory regulator of care homes, has overall responsibility for registering, inspecting and regulating homes, including inspecting against national minimum standards and the Care Homes Regulations. It is the only organisation of those referred to which has statutory responsibility for the inspection and regulation of care homes.
	As part of its inspection work, CSCI will ensure that the necessary Criminal Records Bureau and protection of vulnerable adults scheme checks on care home staff have been carried out and that staff and the registered provider are appropriately trained, which will include meeting requirements, such as the registration of care workers, laid down by bodies such as the General Social Care Council.
	My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced, in his budget statement made on 16 March 2005 that CSCI and the Healthcare Commission will merge to form a single inspectorate for health and social care. The planned merger reflects increasingly close collaboration on the ground between people working in these two fields. It also reflects shared objectives for the highest possible standards for everyone using these services. The merger is part of a wider policy to improve regulation and help reduce the burden that it can place on the frontline across health and social care. The intention is that the merger will take place in 2008.

Care Homes

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the Compact with the voluntary sector applies to care homes.

Ivan Lewis: "The Compact on Relations between Government and the Voluntary and Community Sector in England" (the compact), first introduced in 1998, is the framework agreement for how the Government and the sector should work together. The compact is the agreement between Government and the voluntary and community sector in England to improve their relationship for mutual advantage. It applies to care homes in the voluntary sector only.
	By building better relationships, the compact can help Government and the voluntary and community sector work better together for the communities they serve. It operates on a voluntary basis but commitment is strong:
	at the national level, it applies to Departments, their executive agencies, Government offices for the regions, non-departmental public bodies and voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations; and
	at the local level, local compacts adapt the national framework to suit local circumstances and are an important means to increase understanding between the public sector and the VCS. To date, 98 per cent. of local authority areas have local compacts agreed or being developed.
	The Government are strongly committed to creating a framework in which the sector can continue to flourish, be strong and independent.

Chiropody

John Baron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has  (a) to extend regulation of chiropodists and podiatrists to cover all foot health practitioners who use the techniques of chiropody and  (b) to prevent foot health practitioners advertising their services as chiropody services.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 29 June 2006
	Extension of statutory regulation to groups not currently regulated is being considered as part of a review of regulation. We will publish our decisions on the outcome of the review when ready. Under the Health Professions Order 2001, it is an offence for anyone falsely to represent himself as registered by the Health Professions Council in one of the professions regulated by them; to use a title to which he is not entitled; falsely to represent himself to possess qualifications in a relevant profession. The relevant professions include chiropody and podiatry.

Consultants

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list the companies which were paid consultancy fees by her Department in 2005-06; how much each was paid; and what each of the companies was used to accomplish.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect centrally information that would allow for the analysis requested and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate costs.

Correspondence

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to her Department was of replying to a letter written  (a) by an hon. Member and  (b) by a member of the public in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down into (i) officials' time, (ii) cost of stationery and (iii) postage costs.

Ivan Lewis: The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of departments in replying to Members/Peers correspondence. The report for 2005 was given in a written ministerial statement on 30 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 76-78W.
	The information requested is not recorded and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

DHL/Novation

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she made of DHL/Novation's operations in the US, before awarding the company contracts to supply the NHS, with particular reference to US Justice Department investigations.

Andy Burnham: In relation to the outsourcing of NHS Logistics and related procurement activities the Department has looked into these allegations and, having taken legal advice, is satisfied that there is no reason to reconsider Novation's position.
	Subject to the final negotiations, a contract will be awarded to DHL by the end of the summer. Novation will be a subcontractor to DHL and provide the procurement expertise and support to the enterprise.

Egg Imports (Salmonella)

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the possible risk to  (a) domestic consumers and  (b) customers of the catering industry arising from the consumption of hens' eggs imported from countries with high levels of Salmonella infection in flocks; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: For all Grade A table eggs from any source, if they are handled, stored and cooked properly, there is very little risk to the consumer. Eggs from overseas only contribute to a small percentage of the United Kingdom egg market.
	To assess the risk associated with such eggs, the Food Standard Agency (FSA) is carrying out a survey of eggs sourced from outside the UK and on retail sale in Britain. We have also been monitoring the levels of Salmonella in eggs being used in the catering trade. When these surveys are completed the FSA will have a better understanding of the risk associated with the presence of Salmonella in layer flocks. A recent European Union survey of layer flocks has highlighted those countries with high levels of Salmonella infection in flocks and of these only Spain is a significant exporter of eggs to the UK. Therefore, we are talking to the European Commission and with member states to see what further action can be taken, in the light of the results from the layer flock survey, that will further protect consumers.

Freedom of Information

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration is being given to designating private companies providing personal medical services through the alternative provider medical service arrangements as public authorities within the meaning of section 5 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Ivan Lewis: No consideration has been given to designating private companies providing personal medical services through the alternative provider medical service arrangements as public authorities within the meaning of section five of the Freedom of Information Act.
	No bodies have been designated as public authorities by order under section five.

Infant Formula Regulations

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she plans to review the Infant Formula and Follow-on Formula Regulations 1995; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Department intends to review later this year, in conjunction with the Food Standards Agency, the United Kingdom regulations on infant formula and follow-on formula advertising. This is in line with the commitment set out in the "Choosing Health—Making healthy choices easier White Paper".

Legislation

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which private Member's Bills were drafted by her Department in each session since 1997; and which of those received Royal Assent.

Ivan Lewis: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Members will consider a range of possible subjects before introducing their private Members' Bills.
	Government draftsmen do draft some Bills in advance which are available as one of the options for Members to consider before they make their selection.
	However, Members may make subsequent amendments or revisions to a Government drafted Bill, or use it as the basis for a private Members' Bill in the future.

Maternity Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance her Department gives to  (a) primary care and  (b) hospital trusts on the level of provision of maternity wards; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: It is for local primary care and hospital trusts to determine the appropriate level of provision of maternity services in their area.
	The maternity standard of the national service framework for children, young people and maternity services sets out the Government's vision for women to have easy access to supportive, high quality maternity services, designed around their individual needs and those of their babies. It asks all national health service maternity care providers and primary care trusts to plan the provision of maternity services based on an up-to-date assessment of the needs of the local population and involving service users.

New Technologies

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of the Department's budget was spent on researching new technologies in the last period for which figures are available.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Employment Relations (Jim Fitzpatrick) on Wednesday 21 June,  Official Report, column 1882W.

NHS

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will take steps to ensure that no organisation which has been indicted or forced to repay the US taxpayer for fraud will be permitted to have a role in the NHS.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 29 June 2006
	In securing goods and services for the national health service, the Department is subject to all public procurement regulations when considering the letting of contracts. The rules compel the Department to advertise, negotiate and award any proposed contract in accordance with the legal procedure set out in the regulations. This will ensure that the process is open and honest, and upholds the integrity of the Department.
	The regulations require that as part of the due diligence all participating organisations must complete a pre-qualification questionnaire to ensure that they are suitable to play a role in the NHS.

NHS Finance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans she has to monitor NHS expenditure on complementary and alternative medicines.

Caroline Flint: The Government consider that decision making on individual clinical interventions, using either complementary or more orthodox treatments, is a matter for local national health service providers and practitioners. There are therefore no centrally held records monitoring overall NHS expenditure on complementary and alternative medicines and there are no current plans to change this.

NHS Finance

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what costs have been incurred through the replacement of the North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire strategic health authorities with the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Health Authority; and how much of this sum was accounted for by costs of  (a) administration,  (b) building relocation,  (c) re-branding  (d) training events and  (e) human resources, including hiring new staff.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 26 June 2006
	The costs of the changes that were announced on the16 May will depend on a number of factors. New arrangements are currently being developed and discussed with trade unions and staff. Until those discussions have been concluded and the detail of new arrangements agreed it is not possible to confirm or accurately forecast costs. Overall, the changes will free up money to improve front-line services over time.

NHS Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will be accountable for the breaking even of budgets in  (a) University College of London Hospital and  (b) the Foundation Trust sector.

Ivan Lewis: National health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs) are independent public benefit corporations. The board of directors of each NHSFT is responsible for the performance and success of their organisation. They are subject to a rigorous and transparent regulatory regime operated by Monitor, whose statutory name is the independent regulator of NHSFTs.
	I am informed by the chairman of Monitor, that, on 31 May of each year, NHSFTs are required to submit forward planning information to Monitor. Once it has completed its analysis of the annual plans for the 2006-07 financial year, Monitor will assign financial risk ratings that will guide the intensity of its in-year monitoring. The risk ratings, together with the 2006-07 annual plans for each of the 40 NHSFTs, are due to be published on Monitor's website in September 2006 at www.monitor-nhsft.gov.uk.
	NHSFTs with poor financial risk ratings are required by Monitor to prepare and deliver effective plans for financial recovery. University College London Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, which had a deficit of £35.9 million in the 2005-06 financial year, is implementing a financial recovery plan that will return it to break-even by the 2007-08 financial year.

NHS Performance

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to her oral statement of 7 June 2006,  Official Report, column 258, on NHS performance, on what basis her assertion was made that the letter of the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) of 18 May called for the wiping out of deficits in NHS organisations in Oxfordshire.

Caroline Flint: The assertion was based on the following line in the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) letter of 18 May:
	"The debt crippling our health services could be wiped out if Oxfordshire's NHS were funded at the national average."

Obesity

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of  (a) children and  (b) adults are(i) obese and (ii) overweight when measured by body mass index according to the Government's most recent health survey figures in (A) Bury St. Edmunds constituency, (B) Suffolk county council area, (C) the East of England and (D) England.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 22 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 2104-05W to the hon. Member for Peterborough(Mr. Jackson).

Obesity

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost was of  (a) producing the Obesity Care Pathway and Weight Loss Guide booklet and (b) sending them to the recipients;
	(2)  how the effectiveness of the Obesity Care Pathway and Weight Loss Guide booklets will be measured.

Caroline Flint: To date, the Department has spent £198,000 on producing the "Obesity Care Pathway and the Weight Loss Guide" booklet and £27,751 in sending these materials to the recipients.
	The Department intends to evaluate the effectiveness of the "Obesity Care Pathway and the Weight Loss Guide" booklet early next year. The detailed process and methodology of the evaluation are currently under consideration.

Older People

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she is taking to ensure the effective implementation of the national service framework for older people for those with sensory impairment; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: A work stream focusing on vision and hearing services for older people is included as part of the implementation programme for the Department's recently published report 'A new Ambition for Old Age: Next Steps in Implementing the National Service Framework for Older People'. This work will tie in with the Department's wider 'Healthy Ageing' programme.

Primary Care Trusts

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the letter of 10 May 2006 from the acting chief executive of the NHS, on the Operating Framework for 2006-07, Gateway reference 6509, whether all contracts between primary care trusts and providers setting out agreed service requirements and shared activity plans have been signed.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not held centrally.

Recombinant Factor VII

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1708W, on recombinant factor VII, what funding her Department is providing for 2006-07; and what funding will be made available for 2007-08 and beyond.

Caroline Flint: For 2006-07, the monies previously included within central budgets for allocation to the national health service have now been included as a block sum for strategic health authorities to manage. To ensure that the desired outcomes are achieved this is accompanied by a service level agreement.
	We are committed to this area of patient treatment and continue to consider the long-term funding implications.

Waiting Lists/Times

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State forHealth how many people waited for treatment on an  (a) in-patient and  (b) out-patient waiting list in each year since 1979.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is shown in the table. Note that the full out-patient list was collected for the first time in April 2004.
	
		
			  Number of patients on in-patient and out-patient waiting lists, 1997 to 2006 (provider-based) 
			  As at March each year  In-patient ordinary  Day case  Total  Out-patient 
			 1979 752,422 — 752,422 — 
			 1980 664,919 — 664,919 — 
			 1981 628,333 — 628,333 — 
			 1982 622,480 — 622,480 — 
			 1983 726,186 — 726,186 — 
			 1984 692,945 — 692,945 — 
			 1985 674,453 — 674,453 — 
			 1986 673,107 — 673,107 — 
			 1987(1) 687,945 — 687,945 — 
			 1988 717,892 158,354 876,246 — 
			 1989 741,822 180,854 922,676 — 
			 1990 746,694 212,282 958,976 — 
			 1991 729,061 219,182 948,243 — 
			 1992 663,264 254,453 917,717 — 
			 1993 664,681 330,293 994,974 — 
			 1994 655,287 410,082 1,065,369 — 
			 1995 582,642 461,409 1,044,051 — 
			 1996 540,037 507,992 1,048,029 — 
			 1997 566,588 591,416 1,158,004 — 
			 1998 593,042 704,620 1,297,662 — 
			 1999 508,657 564,203 1,072,860 — 
			 2000 502,174 534,892 1,037,066 — 
			 2001 494,334 512,393 1,006,727 — 
			 2002 499,954 535,411 1,035,365 — 
			 2003 462,730 529,345 992,075 — 
			 2004 407,606 498,147 905,753 (2)1,379,502 
			 2005 350,762 470,960 821,722 1,322,685 
			 2006 304,107 480,447 784,554 1,165,659 
			 (1) Prior to 1988, in-patient waiting list did not include day case admissions. (2 )Figure quoted for April 2004. Total number waiting for out-patient appointment not collected prior to April 2004.  Source: KH07 and QM08.

Waiting Lists/Times

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2006,  Official Report, column 2109W, on waiting times, how many  (a) English and  (b) Welsh patients had been waiting more than six months for an NHS in-patient operation at English hospitals at the end of April 2006.

Andy Burnham: The table provides details of the number of patients who have been waiting more than six months for inpatient admission within English national health service provider trusts at the end of April 2006. The data is split down to show patient nationality.
	
		
			   Number of patients 
			 Total 909 
			  of which:  
			 English 120 
			 Welsh 786 
			 Scottish 2 
			 Guernsey 1

Central Office of Information

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchyof Lancaster pursuant to the written statement of22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 97WS, on Central Office of Information (Performance Targets 2006-07), which official is responsible for progress on each of the targets; to whom each person reports; what recent discussions she has had about implementation of each target; what contingency plans are in place in the event that any target is not met; and if she will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: Alan Bishop, the chief executive of the Central Office of Information (COI) is responsible for progress on each of the targets and he reports to the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster.
	The targets to be set were discussed between myself and Mr. Bishop, in the context of COI's business planning for 2006-07.
	Mr. Bishop, together with the management board that he has appointed, reviews progress against the targets on a regular (at least monthly) basis and implements corrective action, should it be needed.
	Mr. Bishop reports progress to me during regular meetings.

Departmental Publications

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what draft Bills have been produced by her Department since October 2005; how many were (a) examined and  (b) are planned to be examined by (i) a departmental select committee and (ii) a joint committee; what draft Bills are still to be produced by her Department; when they are to be published; how many clauses each has; and if she will make a statement.

Hilary Armstrong: None.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 6 June 2005,  Official Report, column 545W, on departmental staff, why information on the number of staff whose performance has been assessed as unsatisfactory is not available for periods before 1 June 2005.

Patrick McFadden: On 1 June 2005 the Department established a central database to record all types of personal cases including those staff whose performance had been assessed as unsatisfactory.
	Central records prior to that date only show the number of staff who were dismissed due to unsatisfactory performance. It did not record those unsatisfactory performers who improved and subsequently reached a satisfactory standard.

Ministerial Responsibilities

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what responsibility she has for  (a) communities,  (b) civic renewal and  (c) the Respect agenda.

Hilary Armstrong: As Minister for Social Exclusion within the Cabinet Office, I have a strategic role in over-seeing Government activity and supporting other departments across all these areas. This is in the context of tackling persistent social exclusion and delivering social justice which is an over-arching challenge facing Government and cuts across the boundaries of any individual department.
	I am chairing a new Cabinet Committee on Social Exclusion and will be supported by a new Social Exclusion Task Force in the Cabinet Office. Under these auspices the Government will publish an action plan in the autumn setting out policies to reach the most excluded people in society which will be driven forward by the Task Force.
	The Task Force will support the work of the Home Office Respect Unit in delivering the cross-Government Respect agenda, and will complement the leading role of the Department for Communities and Local Government in delivering policies around civil renewal and community cohesion.
	A new Office of the Third Sector is being set up in the Cabinet Office, led by, my hon. Friend the Minister for the Third Sector (Edward Miliband), reporting to me. This draws together different parts of Whitehall that deal with voluntary and community sector organisations and social enterprises, strengthening the Government's approach to the sector.

Public Pensions (Transferability)

Anne Milton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what measures the Government have put in place to assist pension transferability of public pensions for personnel working in Government departments and agencies who are members of the Civil Service pension scheme.

Patrick McFadden: All public service pension schemes pay cash equivalent transfer values to other pension schemes in respect of accrued rights in compliance with pensions law. Under the Fair Deal for Staff Pensions there is a requirement to transfer pension rights when employments are transferred to the private sector under public private partnerships/public finance initiatives and subsequent transfers for former public servants. Public service pension scheme members can also transfer accrued pension rights by way of the public sector transfer club. The club is a network of public and private sector occupational pension schemes which makes it easier for employees who move between employers covered by separate participating schemes to transfer their accrued pension rights.

Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what recent estimate has been made of the carbon emissions of the House of Commons; what commitment has been made to reducing such emissions; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The total quantity of carbon emissions produced on or attributable to the House of Commons element of the estate is estimated at 2,800 tonnes, 60 per cent. of the 4,700 tonnes produced on the Parliamentary Estate during 2005-06.
	The House of Commons, together with the House of Lords, has recently adopted a new energy and water savings policy. Features of the new policy include:
	£30,000 is being invested annually in energy and water efficiency initiatives;
	The Parliamentary Estates Directorate is participating in Whitehall combined heat and power schemes;
	Energy and water audits are used when assessing all proposed new building projects;
	Efficient appliances, materials and methods will be used when undertaking new works, repairs and maintenance to buildings;
	A target 10 per cent. of electricity to be sourced from renewable sources has been set and has already been met;
	A system for energy and water monitoring has been established. This will allow progress against agreed targets to be assessed for the estate as a whole, and for each building. Regular feedback on progress and achievements against targets will be provided to the Energy Savers Group, senior management and appropriate committees;
	Members of staff in each departmental office in the two Houses are involved in energy and water management as nominated Energy Savers;
	The awareness of occupants of the Palace is being raised through energy and water saving campaigns. A series of sustainability seminars has been organised by the Parliamentary Estates Directorate;
	Staff are encouraged to contribute ideas and suggestions for improving energy and water efficiency, maintain interest, learn from failures and promote success;
	Consultants are considering the utilisation of renewable energy systems on the parliamentary estate.

Environmental Management

Christopher Huhne: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the House of Commons  (a) is committed to the achievement of environmental management to ISO 14001 standard and  (b) has been externally certified as in compliance with that standard; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The House of Commons has not been externally certified as in compliance with ISO 14001 standard. The House of Commons Board of Management will be considering the implications of seeking to meet ISO 14001 standard and EMAS accreditation in the autumn. The forthcoming Commission Annual Report (to be published on12 July) will contain an environmental report.

Officers of the House (Accommodation)

Andrew Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1574W, on Officers of the House (Accommodation), what accommodation is made available to the  (a) Clerk of the House, (b) Serjeant at Arms and  (c) Speaker's Secretary; what the market value of the property is in each case; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The accommodation provided for the Clerk of the House, Serjeant at Arms and the Speaker's Secretary is integral to the parliamentary estate and therefore would not be saleable on the open market. The values shown are those estimated by the Valuation Office Agency:
	The Clerk of the House: 3 Parliament Street: £2,825,000
	The Serjeant at Arms: 2 Parliament Street: £2,200,000
	The Speaker's Secretary: 4 Canon Row: £1,625,000.

Security

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1574W, on security, at which other posts there is limited protection from the elements; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: The previous answer referred to comparable security posts generally. There are none on the parliamentary estate.

Shared Office Accommodation

Andrew Dismore: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many hon. Members are in shared office accommodation.

Nick Harvey: 29 Members are sharing offices with other Members. Of these, 23 Members are occupying accommodation designated for multiple occupancy. A further six Members have chosen to share offices in order to provide accommodation for members of their staff.

Capital Gains Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the revenue implications of replacing capital gains tax taper relief with indexation linked to the consumer prices index; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The broad estimate of the revenue implications of replacing capital gains tax taperrelief with indexation for 2006-07 is a revenue gain of £2 billion.
	The figures are consistent with the assumptions made in Budget 2006 on future asset prices, and take into account the likely taxpayer behavioural responses to the tax change. It has been assumed that taper relief would be replaced completely by indexation and that any taxpayer disposing of an asset from 2006-07 onwards would get indexation relief for the duration of the investment.

Company Directors

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of company directors drawing salary in dividend form in each year since 2001-02; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The number of company directors recorded on self assessment returns and the number reporting any dividend income in each available year since 2001-02 are given in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of company directors  Of which: number with dividend income 
			 2001-02 770,000 460,000 
			 2002-03 790,000 490,000 
			 2003-04 910,000 600,000 
			 2004-05 970,000 630,000 
		
	
	The information on the tax return does not distinguish between dividend ncome from the director's own company and amounts derived from investments in other companies.

Corporation Tax

Lady Hermon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to reduce corporation tax in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The corporation tax regime is a UK-wide system and to introduce different rates in one part of the UK could distort competition.
	Many companies trade in different regions of the UK. It would not be easy to determine the proportion of their profits liable at a 'devolved' rate. In addition, such a measure could also create opportunities for some companies to manipulate the rules in order to benefit from the lower rate. This may well result in a system that would place a significant administrative burden on both businesses and the Government.

Customs (Cornwall)

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the possible effects of the withdrawal of frontline customs staff in Cornwall on the import of illegal goods; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs deploys resource in line with intelligence and risk assessments in order to maximise the impact on criminal activity at the frontier.

Financial Services Authority

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what percentage of the Financial Services Authority's staff left the Authority in each of thelast five financial years; and what the total cost of  (a) redundancy and other severance payments and  (b) the recruitment of replacement staff was in each year;
	(2)  many IT-related contracts in excess of 153,000 euros, including contracts with external consultants or contractors have been awarded by the Financial Services Authority in each of the last four financial years; and how many and what total value of such contracts were awarded with no competitive tender in each year;
	(3)  what the budgeted cost set out in the original programme business case was of completing the IT outsourcing programme at the Financial Services Authority;
	(4)  how many external contractors and consultants employed by the Financial Services Authority's (FSA) IT division over the last 24 months have been supplied by employment agencies on the FSA's preferred supplier list; how many have been supplied by employment agencies on the S-CAT register; and how many have been supplied by employment agencies that are neither on the FSA preferred supplier list nor on the S-CAT register.

Edward Balls: These are operational matters for the FSA. The Chairman of the FSA will write to the hon. Member directly.

Financial Services Authority

Eric Pickles: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the extent to which the Government-required project methodology and control is in use on projects and programmes within the Financial Services Authority.

Edward Balls: The FSA is operationally independent of the Government. However, I understand that the FSA have chosen to base their IS development lifecycleon the PRINCE II methodology and they arecurrently working to align this approach with the recommendations of the OGC gateway process.

Home Births

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many home births there were  (a) in total and (b) as a percentage of all births in (i) England and(ii) Forest of Dean constituency in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 3 July 2006:
	As the National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about how many home births there were (a) in total and (b) as a percentage of all births in(i) England and (ii) Forest of Dean constituency in each year since 1997 (81755)
	The latest year for which birth data are available is 2005. The table below shows the figures requested for the years 1997to 2005.
	
		
			  Maternities( 1)  at home and in total for residents of England and of Forest of Dean constituency 1997 to 2005 
			   At home  All maternities  Percentage at home 
			  England   
			 1997 13,621 602,452 2.3 
			 1998 13,104 596,413 2.2 
			 1999 12,561 583,923 2.2 
			 2000 12,108 567,297 2.1 
			 2001 11,543 558,271 2.1 
			 2002 12,055 560,332 2.2 
			 2003 12,746 584,450 2.2 
			 2004 13,523 601,395 2.2 
			 2005 15,327 606,959 2.5 
			 
			  Forest of Dean constituency  
			 1997 41 912 4.5 
			 1998 42 861 4.9 
			 1999 34 858 4.0 
			 2000 30 884 3.4 
			 2001 39 759 5.1 
			 2002 18 776 2.3 
			 2003 21 845 2.5 
			 2004 33 818 4.0 
			 2005 28 802 3.5 
			 (1) A maternity is defined as a woman giving birth to one or more liveborn or stillborn babies.

Hospital Infections

Paul Burstow: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths were recorded where (a) clostridium difficile associated disease,  (b) MRSA,  (c) vancomycin resistant enterococci,  (d) multi-resistant acinetobacter spp and  (e) penicillin resistant streptococcus pneumoniae was mentioned on the death certificate in the last year for which figures are available; and in how many cases it was also the underlying cause of death.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 3 July 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths have been recorded where (a) clostridium difficile associated disease, (b) MRSA, (c) vancomycin resistant enterococci, (d) multi-resistant acinetobacter spp and (e) penicillin resistant streptococcus pneumoniae was mentioned on the death certificate for the last year for which figures are available; and in how many cases it was the underlying cause of death. (81691)
	The most recently available information is for deaths in 2004 in England and Wales. Figures for Clostridium difficile were published in an annual report in Health Statistics Quarterly 30 on 27 May 2006(1) and figures for MRSA were published in an annual report in Health Statistics Quarterly 29 on 26 February 2006(2). Figures for vancomycin resistant enterococci and multi-resistant acinetobacter spp are not available from routine death certification data. These are laboratory classifications of micro organisms, details of which are rarely used in describing the illnesses from which patients suffer or die.
	Figures on the number of deaths involving Streptococcus pneumoniae are given in the table below for the calendar year 2004.
	
		
			  Numbers of deaths where Streptococcus pneumoniae was mentioned on the death certificate and the number where it was specified as penicillin resistant and the number of these mentions where it was also the underlying cause of death( 1) , England and Wales, 2004( 2) 
			   Number of deaths 
			 Total mentions 222 
			 Total mentions—specified as penicillin resistant 0 
			 Underlying cause 161 
			 Underlying cause— specified as penicillin resistant 0 
			 (1) Selected using the codes J13, G00. 1 and A40.3 and a text search within codes A49.1 and H66 from the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10). (2) Figures are for deaths occurring in the calendar year.  Source: Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	(1) Office for National Statistics (2005) Report: Deaths involving Clostridium difficile: England and Wales, 1999-2004. Health Statistics Quarterly 30, 56-60.
	2 Office for National Statistics (2005) Report: Deaths involving MRSA: England and Wales, 2000-2004. "Health Statistics Quarterly 29, 63-68.

Inheritance Tax

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of  (a) a20 per cent. marginal rate band under £500,000 and  (b) a £500,000 allowance for inheritance tax for each year to 2010-11; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave him on 18 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1134W, and on 27 June 2006, Column 371W.

Inheritance Tax

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2006,  Official Report, column 94W, on inheritance tax, 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance that informs departments that it is normal procedure not to publish preliminary regulatory impact assessments;
	(2)  when and how his Department determined that it is normal procedure that preliminary regulatory impact assessments are not published.

Dawn Primarolo: Guidance on how and when regulatory impact assessments should be carried out is publicly available on the Cabinet Office website:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/regulation/ria/
	The decision not to publish preliminary regulatory impact assessments took full account of the criteria contained in the Cabinet Office guidance on when such assessments should be conducted, and when they are not required. To determine whether a change falls within the criteria or not, a preliminary assessment is undertaken. Where the preliminary assessment shows the impact falls outside the criteria, it is taken no further.

Personal Tax Allowances

David Amess: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the personal tax allowances were for  (a) a single person,  (b) a single wage married couple,  (c) a two-wage married couple,  (d) a single parent and  (e) a widowed mother in (i) 1976, (ii) 1979, (iii) 1980,(iv) 1983, (v) 1987, (vi) 1992 (vii) April 1997 and (viii) each year from May 1997.

Dawn Primarolo: The answer is provided in the table.
	
		
			   Single person  Single wage married couple( 1)  Two wage married couple( 2)  Single parent( 3)  Widowed mother( 4) 
			 1976-77 735 1,085 1,820 (5)1,100 (6)1,450 
			 1979-80 1,165 1,815 2,980 1,815 (7)1,815 
			 1980-81 1,375 2,145 3,520 2,145 2,145 
			 1983-84 1,785 2,795 4,580 2,795 2,795 
			 1987-88 2,425 3,795 6,220 3,795 3,795 
			 1992-93 3,445 5,165 8,610 5,165 5,165 
			 1997-98 4,045 (8)4,045 + 1,830 x 15% 8,090 + 1,830 x 15% 4,045 + 1,830 x 15% (9)4,045 + 3,660 x 15% 
			 1998-99 4,195 4,195 + 1,900 x 15% 8,390 + 1,900 x 15% 4,195+ 1,900 x 15% 4,195 + 3,880 x 15% 
			 1999-2000 4,335 4,335 + 1,970 x 10% 8,670 + 1,970 x 10% 4,335 + 1,970 x 10% 4,335 + 3,940 x 10% 
			 2000-01 4,385 4,385 8,770 4,385 (10)4,385 + 2,000 x 10% 
			   
			 2001-02 4,535 4,535 9,070 (11)4,535 + 5,200 x 10% 4,535 + 5,200 x 10% 
			 2002-03 4,615 4,615 9,230 4,615 + 5,290 x 10% 4,615 + 5,290 x 10% 
			 2003-04 4,615 4,615 9,230 4,615 4,615 
			 2004-05 4,745 4,745 9,490 4,745 4,745 
			 2005-06 4,895 4,895 9,790 4,895 4,895 
			 2006-07 5,035 5,035 10,070 5,035 5,035 
			 (1) Assumes husband is wage earner. (2) Married allowance withdrawn for 2000-01 et seq, unless one of the couple born before 6 April 1935. (3) Additional personal allowance (APA) equivalent of married allowance. Given as a tax reduction from 1994-95. Withdrawn for 2000-01 et seq.  (4) Widow's bereavement allowance (WBA) introduced in 1980-81 for year of bereavement. Available for year of death and following year from 1982-83. Equivalent of married allowance. Given as a tax reduction from 1994-95. Withdrawn for deaths after 5 April 2000. (5) Single person's tax allowance and additional relief for a qualifying child. Further relief possibly due if more than one child. (6) Single person's tax allowance, relief for a widow with dependants and additional relief for a qualifying child. Further relief possibly due if more than one child. (7) Single person's tax allowance and relief for a widow with dependants. (8) Married couple's allowance (MCA) given as a tax reduction at 15% and 10% for 1999-2000. (9) WBA and APA. (10) WBA available only if widowed during previous tax year. (11) Children's tax credit given as a tax reduction at 10% and restricted where income exceeded income limit. Also available to single and two wage married couples who had a qualifying child. Replaced from 2003-04 by child tax credit.

Unemployed Disabled People

Nigel Evans: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many disabled people were registered as unemployed in  (a) Ribble Valley and  (b) Lancashire in each of the last five years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 3 July 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment. (81468)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of unemployment for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) and Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	The table, attached, shows estimates of the number of unemployed disabled persons of working age (males aged 16 to 64 and females aged 16 to 59) resident in Lancashire for the 12 months ending February 2001 to February 2004, from the annual local area LFS, and for the 12 months ending March 2005 from the APS. Sample sizes are insufficient to provide estimates for the Ribble Valley Parliamentary Constituency.
	These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (ISA). However, the claimant count data are not available by disability.
	
		
			  Number of disabled( 1)  persons unemployed resident in Lancashire. 
			  thousand 
			  12 months ending  Number 
			  February:  
			 2001 7 
			 2002 5 
			 2003 4 
			 2004 6 
			   
			  March:  
			 2005 5 
			 (1) Defined by the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 and by whether a long-term disability is work-limiting.  Notes: 1. Estimates are subject to sampling variability. 2. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.  Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey; Annual Population Survey

Afghanistan

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken as part of alternative livelihood programmes in Afghanistan to address the extent to which opium is used to access services.

Kim Howells: Opium is a major source of credit for many households in Afghanistan. It is used to lease land, purchase agricultural inputs and to meet the cost of education and health services. Household dependence on opium cultivation for accessing services, and the problem of opium debt which results from using opium as credit, is a growing problem in Afghanistan. Micro-finance can make an important contribution to addressing this problem and helping to promote alternative livelihoods to opium in Afghanistan. In 2005 the Department for International Development provided £5 million to Afghanistan's Micro-Finance and Investment Support Facility (MISFA) to introduce a special funding window to promote and enable the expansion of micro-finance in poppy-growing provinces. This financial support is helping Micro-Finance Institutions develop financial products that better meet the financing needs for alternative livelihoods and the problem of indebtedness. Moreover, the MISFA programme is providing a source of legal credit to the poor and people on low incomes to access services, thus reducing the demand for credit from opium and therefore reducing the risk of Afghan households losing assets or land due to opium indebtedness.

Afghanistan

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of whether agricultural reconstruction programmes in the Helmand province may have contributed to opium production.

Kim Howells: At present some 80 per cent. of the population of Helmand are engaged in farming and a significant number are engaged in opium cultivation. The main contributing factors to opium production in Helmand result from the devastating impact of three decades of war. The conflict led to increasing poverty; a severe decline in investment in essential infrastructure such as roads and the Helmand irrigation system; insecurity and the lack of the rule of law; and the absence of a credible government providing basic services. As a result, the people of Helmand have become increasingly dependent on illegal opium cultivation for income to meet basic needs.
	The Afghan Government is looking to improve the situation for farmers in Helmand, but progress has been hampered by problems delivering government development programmes there. To help address this problem, the Department for International Development will be spending £30 million over the next three years in Helmand through the Helmand Agriculture and Rural Development Programme. This programme will deliver assistance through the Afghan Government's National Programmes in the province. These aim to extend the Afghan Government's authority and demonstrate that it can be a credible provider of public services, such as the provision of safe drinking water, credit for investment in agricultural business and essential investment in much needed infrastructure, particularly irrigation. These are all essential elements for increasing the number of legal employment opportunities available to households and reducing the dependence on opium cultivation.

Afghanistan

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the political situation in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: Afghanistan has made significant political progress since 2001. Parliamentary and provincial elections were successfully held in September 2005. Parliament went into Session in December. Most Cabinet Ministers are approved and the budget endorsed. Afghan Government influence is increasing throughout the country with assistance from the International Security Assistance Force and the UN. As part of our efforts in southern Afghanistan, we are working to support Afghan led reconstruction.

Agency Staff

Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what average hourly rate was paid by her Department to each employment agency for staff employed through agencies in 2005-06.

Geoff Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) use various agencies under the National Framework for Temporary Staff. The majority are employed at grade A2 (administrative officer) level. Although rates between agencies vary depending on the assignment, the three agencies most commonly used by the FCO are charged an average hourly rate of £13.74 in 2005-06.

Antarctic Treaty

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will (a) make a statement on the administering and (b) effectiveness of the Antarctic Treaty in relation to environmental protection.

Geoff Hoon: The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty was signed in 1991. By the commencement of the 29th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Edinburgh from 12 to 23 June 2006, all 28 consultative parties to the treaty, as well as 4 non-consultative parties, had ratified the Protocol. The United Kingdom ratified the Protocol on 25 April 1995.
	The Protocol sets out a framework of stringent provisions for the comprehensive protection of the Antarctic environment. Under the Protocol, all activities in Antarctica must be planned and their potential environmental impacts assessed and minimised.
	The Committee for Environmental Protection meets annually in conjunction with the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, to administer the Protocol, thereafter providing advice and formulating recommendations on the protection of the Antarctic environment.

Antarctic Treaty

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what issues the Government will be raising at the next round of the Antarctic Treaty consultative meetings.

Geoff Hoon: The UK submitted a range of Working Papers to the 29 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, held in Edinburgh from 12 to 23 June 2006. Topics covered included guidelines for visitor sites in the Antarctic Peninsular region, wildlife awareness information, Marine Protected Areas, guidelines on the exchange of ballast water by vessels in the waters surrounding Antarctica and a summary of the UK-led environmental workshop to identify future environmental challenges in Antarctica, which preceded this meeting.
	The UK has contributed robustly to discussions of wider Antarctic tourism, environmental, operational and scientific matters. The UK-drafted Edinburgh Declaration on Antarctica, published on 19 June, sets out the commitment of the Antarctic Treaty Parties to the development of polar science during the forthcoming International Polar Year 2007-2008.

Climate Change

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the  (a) Chinese and  (b) Indian Governments on tackling climate change.

Ian McCartney: Following her appointment, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not yet had direct discussions with the Indian or Chinese Governments on tackling climate change. She looks forward to visiting both countries to discuss climate change and other issues of mutual interest in the coming months. I will be travelling to China from10-17 July 2006 and will be raising climate change with my counterparts while there.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has announced that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will play an increasing role in delivering the Government's international objectives on climate change. On 8 June, she announced the appointment of a special representative for climate change, John Ashton. His primary focus will be to build a stronger political foundation for international action on climate change, working to build consensus among key governmental and non-governmental actors in priority countries, including China and India.

East Timor

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 315W, on East Timor, to the right hon. Member for Cynon Valley (Ann Clwyd) by what date her Department expects to make a formal response to the recommendations of the Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation in East Timor made in its final report.

Ian McCartney: We do not intend to make a formal response to the report of the East Timorese Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation. The document has been made public, but it is not yet clear whether the UN Secretary-General will ask the, Security Council to consider the findings.

East Timor

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answers of 15 June 2006,  Official Report, column 471W, on East Timor, whether her Department has urged Indonesia's authorities to investigate crimes committed in East Timor in September 1999 by Indonesia's Battalion 745, including  (a) the murder of Sander Thoenes and  (b) the attack on Jon Swain and his three companions in the last 12 months; and if she will raise those matters with Indonesia's Foreign Minister at the earliest opportunity.

Ian McCartney: We have made no representations in the past 12 months to the Indonesian Government regarding investigation of specific crimes committed in East Timor in September 1999. The East Timorese Government has made it clear that, having achieved independence, they do not seek criminal justice or compensation for past human rights violations but rather prioritise the need for reconciliation with Indonesia. East Timor and Indonesia have jointly set up a Commission for Truth and Friendship (CTF) as the way they wish to promote reconciliation and deal with previous human rights violations by both sides. We will continue to monitor the work of the CTF.

Ethiopia

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Government of Ethiopia regarding incursions into Somalia.

Ian McCartney: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, spoke with Prime Minister Meles late last week and our ambassador in Addis Ababa spoke with the Ethiopian Deputy Foreign Minister in mid-June. We made clear to the Ethiopian Government our concerns about the current situation in Somalia and also that, with the UN, the UK regards the Transitional Federal Government as the legitimate Government of Somalia. The UK believes it is important that all states refrain from any actions that might destabilise the situation, respect Somalia's borders and to comply with the current UN arms embargo on Somalia. The international community, including regional states, should focus on promoting dialogue among the Somalia parties in support of the agreement reached between the Transitional Federal Government and the Islamic Courts in Khartoum on 22 June 2006.

EU Finance

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials in her Department have had with (i) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (ii) Treasury officials regarding the proposals to reduce the proportion of the UK abatement in the agreement on the next EU financial perspective.

Geoff Hoon: All Departments with an interest continue to work together to secure the successful implementation of the December deal on the EU Budget for 2007-2013.

EU Finance

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether her Department  (a) has made and  (b) plans to make representations to (i) the EU Commission, (ii) the EU Presidency and(iii) other member state governments to seek agreement to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's proposals to reduce the proportion of the UK abatement in the agreement on the next EU financial perspective.

Geoff Hoon: The Own Resources Mechanisms for the next Financial Perspective 2007-13, including the UK Abatement, were agreed unanimously by member states at the December 2005 European Council. Discussions are continuing in Brussels concerning the technical details for implementation of the December agreement. As is usual, these involve the European Commission, EU Presidency and all member states. We are considering the draft texts of the new Own Resources Decision carefully to make sure they accurately reflect the outcome of the December European Council, including the agreement that the UK Abatement should remain.

Falkland Islands

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of Statefor Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will reiterate its policy on self-determination for the Falkland Islands following the Argentine Government's pressing of their claim to the islands at the recent Organisation of American States annual assembly.

Geoff Hoon: The permanent observer of the United Kingdom to the Organisation of American States (OAS) wrote to the chair of the General Assembly of the OAS on 6 June reiterating that the Government have no doubts about their sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
	There can be no negotiations on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands unless and until such time as the Falkland Islanders so wish. The principle of self-determination underlies the Government's position on the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.

Family Planning

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to her Answer of 20 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1720W, on family planning, if she will make it her policy  (a) not to recognise abortion as a method of family planning and  (b) not to support abortion in reproductive health assistance; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	DFID does not promote abortion as a methodof family planning. However, we recognise that if a woman decides she cannot go through with a pregnancy, she needs to be able to access services that are safe, as well as family planning services. This is in line with the consensus agreed by the International Conference for Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994.
	Globally, 137 million couples who say they would like to use family planning do not have adequate access to modern contraception, with an estimated 87 million unintentional pregnancies as a result. DFID support for sexual and reproductive health is to enable women and men to exercise informed and safe choices in matters of childbearing and to provide a comprehensive range of information and services that can help to save women's lives and to reduce the need for abortion.

Infraction Proceedings

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many infraction proceedings for breach of EU  (a) legislation and  (b) treaties were outstanding against the United Kingdom at each formal stage notified to Government at the end of each calendar year since 1990; and how many were outstanding against the Governments of Scotland and Wales in each year since devolution.

Geoff Hoon: A table setting out the number of infraction proceedings brought against the UK at each formal stage in the calendar years stated is as follows. The records kept by the Government concerning reasoned opinions only started during 1998, meaning the figure for 1998 is incomplete, and the records concerning cases before the court are only available since 1997. To provide details before these dates, to break down the figures in respect of legislation and treaties or to provide figures for outstanding cases at the end of each calendar year would incur disproportionate cost. Infraction proceedings are brought against the UK not the devolved Administrations.
	
		
			   Article 226  Article 228 
			   Reasoned opinions  Court applications  Reasoned opinions  Court applications 
			 1997 n/a 1 n/a 0 
			 1998 10 1 0 0 
			 1999 24 5 0 0 
			 2000 29 4 1 0 
			 2001 38 9 0 0 
			 2002 28 15 1 0 
			 2003 26 8 1 0 
			 2004 25 11 0 0 
			 2005 28 7 1 0 
			 2006 (to date) 3 3 0 0 
			 n/a = not available

Iraq

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total UK expenditure towards support in training, equipping and deploying of military and protective services and border personnel in Iraq was in each year since 2003.

Kim Howells: The Ministry of Defence has so far approved expenditure of £82.2 million to equipping the Iraqi security forces. The yearly approved expenditure is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 27.3 
			 2005-06 34.6 
			 2006-07 20.3 
		
	
	The UK has also contributed £423,000 so far to the NATO training mission in Iraq, through the NATO Training Mission Trust Fund. The yearly approved expenditure is as follows:
	
		
			   €/(£) 
			 2004-05 250,000 (173,000) 
			 2005-06 367,400 (250,000) 
		
	
	Since 2004 the cross-Government Conflict Prevention Pools contributed over £22 million towards the training of the Iraqi security forces. The yearly approved expenditure is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 2004-05 7 
			 2005-06 12.6 
			 2006-07 (to end May 2006) 2.5 
		
	
	All these projects commenced in 2004. We are unable to provide figures for 2003, as prior to this date expenditure on equipping Iraqi security forces came from the UK forces general budget for Iraq and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.

Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1000W, on ministerial visits (accommodation), ifshe will keep a central record of the  (a) number, (b) standard of hotel used and  (c) cost of overnight stays for (i) civil servants, (ii) special advisers and(iii) Ministers.

Geoff Hoon: There are clear guidelines in place for all Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff, special advisers and Ministers concerning overnight accommodation when travelling on business at public expense, whether in the UK or overseas. These rates are also used by staff from other Whitehall Departments and by Parliamentary Select Committees. Staff are reminded of the need to ensure they obtain value for money at all times.
	There are no plans to keep a central record of all hotel accommodation used as to do so would incur disproportionate cost.

Sri Lanka

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State forForeign and Commonwealth Affairs what support her Department is giving to the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission.

Kim Howells: Under the terms of the Cease-Fire Agreement the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission (SLMM) was established to monitor the cease-fire and investigate and record violations by either side. It has done so since 2002. We continue to support fully the important work of the SLMM as cease-fire monitors and the Norwegian Government as facilitators of the peace process. In relation to the SLMM, we completely endorse the view that its members are appointed as cease-fire monitors and not as representatives of their countries.
	We welcome the recent statements of commitment by the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) to the Cease-Fire Agreement. In that respect we urge all parties to the cease-fire to co-operate with the SLMM and urge the LTTE and the Government to return to face-to face talks so they can discuss concerns about the cease-fire and work towards a lasting peace agreement.

Terrorist Deportations

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in identifying a monitoring body in accordance with the UK-Lebanon Memorandum of Understanding to facilitate the deportation of persons associated with terrorism.

Kim Howells: It is expected that the monitoringbody for Lebanon under the Memorandum of Understanding will be appointed shortly by the Government and Lebanese Government.

Timor-Leste

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her  (a) European and  (b) US counterparts regarding the agreement of the mandate of a new UN mission to Timor-Leste; and what the outcomes were of those discussions.

Ian McCartney: We are liaising closely with our US counterparts regarding the mandate of a new UN Mission to East Timor. We have also been in touch with various European partners, including Portugal, Germany and France. A number of discussions have taken place, both bilaterally and within the UN Security Council. We all agree that the UN has a continuing role to play in assisting the Government of East Timor in the lead up to the national elections in 2007, particularly in light of recent unrest. The current UN Mission's mandate has been extended until20 August 2006 whilst the UN Secretary- General prepares further recommendations on the mandate and structure of the new mission.

Timor-Leste

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her officials have made of the attempt in June 2006 to loot the offices of the Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission in Timor-Leste; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: During the height of the recent civil unrest in East Timor, the grounds of the building housing the Commission of Reception, Truth and Reconciliation (CAVR) were broken into. Thirty two motorbikes were stolen from the compound, but there is no evidence to suggest that there was any attempt to break into the CAVR offices themselves.

Timor-Leste

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support her Department plans to offer to the United Nations investigation into recent violence in Timor-Leste; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The United Kingdom supported UN Security Council Resolution 1690 (2006), which welcomes the initiative of the UN Secretary-General to ask the High Commissioner for Human Rights to take the lead in establishing an independent Special Inquiry Commission to review the recent unrest in East Timor. We have not received any specific requests for assistance, but will follow the work of the High Commissioner closely.

Travel Advice

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) information her Department provides and  (b) grants it makes available for the purpose of advising gap year students on personal safety issues when travelling overseas.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has run the travel safety campaign, "Know Before You Go", since 2001. Its aim is to help British travellers prepare for their trips and stay safe while they're abroad.
	Gap year students are one of the key target groups for this campaign: they are both less likely to prepare for their trips and more likely to get into trouble while away. We work closely with partners from the travel industry and related groups to promote the FCO's travel website (www.fco.gov.uk/travel) and call centre (0845 850 4849) which give detailed travel safety information on specific countries as well as important general tips.
	Over the last year this activity included:
	the publication and distribution of 500,000 copies of a "Travel Safe Guide" jointly produced with Lonely Planet. This is being distributed through partners including Millets, Snow and Rock, Ellis Brigham (adventure travel shops) and through the Lonely Planet website, so as to reach the target audience;
	a sixth-form schools tour conducted by the FCO's Consular Communications Team jointly with a number of noted travel writers, including Simon Calder of the  Independent;
	FCO Student Ambassadors in 15 universities across the UK. Articles placed in university publications by the student Ambassadors have reached 467,000 students over the past year. We will be appointing new students in new universities over the course of the coming year;
	a dedicated FCO gap year website (www.gogapyear.com) which will be re-launched in July this year with many new features.
	The Department has close working relationships with a number of organisations promoting the safety of gap year travellers. We do not make any direct grants for this activity, preferring to work through partnerships with relevant organisations—for example, promoting each others' information materials, co-branding.

Western Sahara

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of human rights in Western Sahara.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made no recent assessment of the human rights situation in Western Sahara.
	I visited Morocco on 6-7 June and raised the issue of Western Sahara including human rights. I have urged Morocco to respect human rights in the Territory, including in my speech at Chatham House on 22 June.

Bank and Shop Closures

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) bank branches and  (b) independent retail shops which closed in (i) Nottingham, South and (ii) the East Midlands in 2005-06.

Margaret Hodge: The number of local bank branch closures is not available.
	Value added tax (VAT) de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business closures. Data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006 at www.sbs.gov.uk/vats.
	VAT de-registrations in retail in 2004 for the parliamentary constituency of Nottingham, South and the Government office region of the East Midlands are shown in the following table. For comparison, registrations are also given.
	
		
			   Nottingham South  East Midlands 
			 VAT Registrations in retail(1) 50 1,345 
			 VAT De-registrations in retail(1) 35 1,420 
			 (1) Retail comprises Standard Industrial Classification 52. 
		
	
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register may not have closed. In the retail sector 63 per cent. of enterprises in the UK (200,000 out of 320,000) were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.

Broadband

Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the reasons are for the delay in publication of the Broadband Stakeholders Group's independent rates review; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  when he expects the Broadband Stakeholders Group to publish the final report on the independent rates review; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: In November 2003, the Broadband Stakeholder Group (BSG) established terms of reference for reviewing the regime for property taxes in respect of cable/duct infrastructure. These were:
	To review the effects of the business rating system on the providers of communication apparatus and their possible affect on competition within the communications industry.
	To consider whether or not the assessment methodology is having a detrimental affect on the roll out of broadband, with special emphasis on the provision of broadband in rural areas and to isolated communities.
	To consider the methods of assessment as between leased and owned fibre and any possible double payment as between fibre lessees and the owners of the ducts in which the fibre is carried and any material differences between business rates payable on owned or leased fibre.
	To determine the scope of the works for Phase II of the project, subject to budget approval.
	The BSG published an interim status report in late 2004. While the interim report proposed options for a way forward, the working group driving the report felt that there was insufficient hard data (as opposed to anecdotal material) to draw firm conclusions at that stage. It was planned that the review could be concluded by March 31 2005, three months on from the interim report.
	However, the review could not be taken forward from that point as, at the start of 2005, the European Commission launched a state aids investigation, which directly involved two BSG members. A decision on this case is expected imminently at which point the review can progress as planned.

Businesses

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses in  (a) England and  (b) Beverley and Holderness have (i) started up and (ii) ceased trading in each of the last nine years; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business start-ups and closures. DTI data on the number of VAT registrations and de-registrations in  (a) England and  (b) Beverley and Holderness constituency in each year from 1997 to 2004 are shown in the table. Data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006. For comparison, the start of year stock of VAT-registered businesses is also given.
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million businesses (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.
	
		
			  VAT de-registrations and registrations1997-2004 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000 
			  England 
			 Registrations 159,730 160,235 155,390 157,615 
			 De-registrations 125,490 124,990 128,580 134,005 
			 Start of year stock 1,376,795 1,411,035 1,446,280 1,473,090 
			  
			  Beverley and Holderness 
			 Registrations 230 215 200 245 
			 De-registrations 230 190 195 205 
			 Start of year stock 2,845 2,845 2,875 2,875 
		
	
	
		
			   2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  England 
			 Registrations 148,835 155,175 166,505 158,535 
			 De-registrations 132,995 136,425 146,390 156,140 
			 Start of year stock 1,496,700 1,512,545 1,531,295 1,551,410 
			  
			  Beverley and Holderness 
			 Registrations 230 265 275 260 
			 De-registrations 220 230 205 250 
			 Start of year stock 2,915 2,930 2,960 3,025 
			  Note: Due to rounding, the stock at the end of the previous year, plus registrations during the year, minus de-registrations during the year, may not exactly match the stock at the end of the year.  Source: Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2004, Small Business Service, available from the Library of the House and also at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats. 
		
	
	In both England and Beverley and Holderness the stock of VAT registered businesses has increased or stayed constant each year since 1997, as registrations have matched or exceeded de-registrations in every year.
	The number of VAT de-registrations in England has increased since 1997. However, business closures are part of the functioning of a dynamic economy and represent willingness among the business population to take risks or the displacement of less productive and innovative firms by more productive ones. Research indicates that improvements in productivity and economic growth are more likely to come from higher levels of both business entry and business exit.
	Regional disparities in start-up and closure rates can have their root in the different economic history and different opportunities available in each region. The Government's aim is for every region to achieve success and good economic growth, which is why increasing resources have been put at the disposal of each Regional Development Agency.

Businesses

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new businesses registered in each London borough in 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business start-ups. The latest available figures for VAT registrations in individual London boroughs from 1994-2004 are shown as follows. Data for 2005 will be available autumn 2006.
	However VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million enterprises (42 per cent.) on the UK were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.
	
		
			   1994  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999 
			 Inner London 16,720 16,285 17,500 18,830 20,160 20,205 
			
			 City of London 1,100 1,015 1,030 1,065 1,220 1,275 
			
			 Camden 1,895 2,035 2,230 2,420 2,405 2,285 
			 Hackney 1,000 970 980 985 1,130 1,110 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 820 805 825 985 1,135 1,030 
			 Haringey 840 800 925 945 975 975 
			 Islington 1,185 1,155 1,260 1,555 1,595 1,445 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,120 1,020 1,070 1,095 1,130 1,195 
			 Lambeth 740 735 795 865 915 890 
			 Lewisham 515 490 530 635 665 635 
			 Newham 530 505 485 530 580 560 
			 Southwark 835 775 970 1,015 1,090 1,025 
			 Tower Hamlets 880 835 900 980 1,095 1,095 
			 Wandsworth 1,015 960 1,040 1,160 1,220 1,235 
			 Westminster 4,245 4,190 4,470 4,600 5,005 5,450 
			
			 Outer London 14,550 14,585 14,785 17,065 17,610 16,135 
			
			 Barking and Dagenham 270 370 260 290 310 345 
			 Barnet 1,795 1,980 1,970 2,330 2,315 1,995 
			 Bexley 510 485 515 650 580 560 
			 Brent 1,015 1,005 1,005 1,200 1,185 1,150 
			 Bromley 895 920 940 1,060 1,125 920 
			 Croydon 970 910 960 1,045 1,070 985 
			 Ealing 1,075 990 1,065 1,245 1,230 1,190 
			 Enfield 720 710 750 815 865 845 
			 Greenwich 415 430 455 560 570 525 
			 Harrow 915 840 850 950 1,050 895 
			 Havering 575 570 600 715 755 655 
			 Hillingdon 835 760 795 905 915 840 
			 Hounslow 695 730 695 800 845 820 
			 Kingston upon Thames 540 515 560 680 695 610 
			 Merton 570 635 600 750 835 725 
			 Redbridge 740 740 765 835 930 860 
			 Richmond upon Thames 820 890 900 970 1,010 955 
			 Sutton 565 490 510 595 610 535 
			 Waltham Forest 625 615 585 670 725 730 
		
	
	
		
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Inner London 20,045 17,870 17,680 19,635 19,235 
			   
			 City of London 1,460 1,085 1,045 1,090 1,120 
			   
			 Camden 2,215 1,870 1,900 2,035 1,995 
			 Hackney 1,155 1,015 1,030 1,075 975 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,015 995 940 965 1,065 
			 Haringey 970 880 830 895 905 
			 Islington 1,365 1,190 1,230 1,240 1,310 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 1,225 940 1,095 1,160 1,175 
			 Lambeth 845 1,000 875 900 1,025 
			 Lewisham 605 605 595 600 625 
			 Newham 575 530 545 650 635 
			 Southwark 1,100 955 975 1,085 1,080 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,095 935 970 1,110 1,045 
			 Wandsworth 1,195 1,115 1,115 1,235 1,350 
			 Westminster 5,225 4,765 4,535 5,590 4,930 
			   
			 Outer London 16,360 15,390 15,365 16,270 16,225 
			   
			 Barking and Dagenham 370 320 320 360 355 
			 Barnet 2,045 1,760 1,700 1,635 1,610 
			 Bexley 590 620 540 570 535 
			 Brent 1,175 1,090 1,030 1,160 1,150 
			 Bromley 955 965 950 985 995 
			 Croydon 960 945 985 1,070 945 
			 Ealing 1,195 1,150 1,185 1,315 1,295 
			 Enfield 900 820 845 900 905 
			 Greenwich 530 490 485 515 560 
			 Harrow 945 915 920 1,045 1,205 
			 Havering 650 640 620 620 600 
			 Hillingdon 865 760 845 850 870 
			 Hounslow 825 815 800 855 845 
			 Kingston upon Thames 625 600 595 575 630 
			 Merton 770 690 640 720 700 
			 Redbridge 860 795 770 850 815 
			 Richmond upon Thames 955 890 995 1,010 985 
			 Sutton 505 505 490 540 535 
			 Waltham Forest 650 630 650 685 695

Businesses

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1576W, on the Business Review, how he plans to ensure that the information on companies' relationships with suppliers will be comparable  (a) between companies and  (b) over time.

Margaret Hodge: As clause 399 subsection (4) of the Company Law Reform Bill sets out, the Business Review is required to be a balanced and comprehensive analysis of the company's business consistent with the size and complexity of the business. There is no explicit requirement for companies to report on their relationships with suppliers. Where reporting on relationships with suppliers is necessary for an understanding of the development, performance or position of the company's business, it will be for the directors to consider what type of information to include in their review. The purpose of the Business Review is to inform members of the company and help them assess how the directors have performed their duty under clause 158 (duty to promote the success of the company). The statutory provisions therefore set out the framework of the Business Review, but it is for directors of each company to determine its content according to the circumstances of the particular company. These are matters for the directors' judgment and for the company's shareholders to hold the directors to account.

Businesses

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1576W, on the Business Review, what  (a) financial and  (b) non-financial key performance indicators companies will be required to use when reporting on their relationships with suppliers in the Business Review; what estimate he has made of how many companies will be required to report on their relationships with overseas suppliers under the provisions of clause 399 of the Company Law Reform Bill; what types of information companies will be required to include in their reports on relationships with overseas suppliers within the Business Review; what the provisions are of the Company Law Reform Bill which will oblige companies to include information on relationships with suppliers; whether he plans to introduce statutory guidance on what types of information on supplier relationships must be included in the Business Review; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Companies must include financial and non-financial key performance indicators in their Business Review to the extent necessary for an understanding of the development, performance or position of the company's business. The review is required to be a balanced and comprehensive analysis of the company's business consistent with the size and complexity of the business, but there is no explicit requirement for companies to report on their relationships with suppliers. Where reporting on relationships with suppliers—whether domestic or overseas—is necessary for an understanding of the development, performance or position of the company's business, it will be for the directors to consider what type of information to include in their review. This is a matter for the directors' judgment and for the company's shareholders to hold the directors to account. We will be debating the Business Review provisions in Committee.

Businesses

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many firms in the Carlisle district council area have  (a) started and  (b) ceased trading in each year since 1995.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business starts and closures. DTI figures based solely on VAT registrations and de-registrations for Carlisle local authority are shown in the table for 1995 to 2004 inclusive. Data for 2005 will be available in autumn 2006. For comparison, the VAT registered business stock in Carlisle is also shown.
	
		
			   Registrations  De-registrations  Registered business stock at end of year 
			 1995 205 250 3,075 
			 1996 180 220 3,030 
			 1997 210 195 3,045 
			 1998 210 195 3,060 
			 1999 215 215 3,060 
			 2000 220 210 3,060 
			 2001 245 195 3,115 
			 2002 260 200 3,175 
			 2003 280 215 3,240 
			 2004 285 210 3,315 
			  Source: Business Start-ups and Closures: VAT Registrations and De-registrations 1994-2004, Small Business Service, available from the Library of the House and also at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/vats. Due to rounding, the stock at the end of the previous year, plus registrations during the year, minus deregistrations during the year, may not exactly match the stock at the end of the year 
		
	
	In Carlisle local authority the stock of VAT registered businesses has increased every year from 2,000 onwards, as registrations have exceeded de-registrations throughout this period.
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million businesses (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.
	According to Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation, which includes non-VAT registered businesses, Carlisle local authority had 400 business start-ups in 2005. Barclays business closure data are not available for local authorities. Barclays business start-up data are not available for local authorities before 2005.

Businesses

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses that began trading since 1997 have subsequently ceased trading in  (a) England and  (b) Beverley and Holderness; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business starts and closures. Latest VAT data on the total number of registrations since 1997 and the number of these registrations that subsequently de-registered, covering up to 2004, are shown in the table for  (a) England and  (b) Beverley and Holderness constituency.
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register may not have closed. Only 1.8 million out of the4.3 million businesses in the UK (42 per cent.) were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.
	
		
			  VAT registrations and subsequent de-registrations, 1997 to 20041 
			   Registrations/de-registrations 
			  England  
			 New registrations 1997 to 2004 1,261,665 
			 Number de-registering by end of 2004 429,510 
			 Percentage still registered, end of 2004 66 
			   
			  Beverley and Holderness constituency  
			 New registrations 1997 to 2004 1,910 
			 Number de-registering by end of 2004 520 
			 Percentage still registered, end of 2004 73 
			 (1) VAT registration and de-registration data are not available by size of business. However, 98 per cent. of the total stock of VAT registered businesses are small (0-49 employees). Source: Office for National Statistics, UK Business: Activity, Size and Location—2005, available from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vInk=933  Source: New analysis of VAT Survival Rates data 1994-2003, Small Business Service, available at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/survival: SBS analysis of ONS Inter Departmental Business Register data. 
		
	
	Business closures are part of the functioning of a dynamic economy and represent an increased willingness among the business population to take risks or the displacement of less productive and innovative firms by more productive ones. Research indicates that improvements in productivity and economic growth are more likely to come from higher levels of both business entry and business exit.
	Regional disparities in start-up and closure rates can have their root in the different economic history and different opportunities available in each region. The Government's aim is for every region to achieve success and good economic growth, which is why increasing resources have been put at the disposal of each Regional Development Agency.

Car Companies (Government Support)

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what  (a) funding,  (b) tax incentives and  (c) other financial support the Government have provided to (i) Peugeot, (ii) LTI vehicles, (iii) British-owned automotive producers and (iv) overseas automotive producers over the last 10 years.

Margaret Hodge: The main source of Government finance provided to the automotive industry in recent years has been Regional Selective Assistance (RSA), which in England was supplanted by Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFIE) in 2004. Since 2000, around £150 million has been paid in grants to a wide range of vehicle manufacturers and component suppliers, nearly £100 million of which was paid to vehicle makers. Grants are only available to companies in assisted areas, but the scheme does not discriminate as to nationality of the parent company.
	In 1998, Peugeot was offered a £2 million RSA grant towards the cost of investment to add a third shift at a time of strong demand for their 206 model. This project created 900 jobs, and the grant has been paid in full. In November 2004, the company was offered a £14.4 million grant in support of 207 manufacture, but the project did not proceed.
	LTI have not been in receipt of RSA or SFI finance.
	The Government also offers various forms of technology grant from which companies in the automotive sector have benefited. At various times, both Peugeot Citroen and LTI have participated in consortia which have received grants, but accurate figures as to individual shares of consortium funding are not available to DTI. That said, supported projects have included the Efficient-C project (involving PSA Peugeot Citroen, QinetiQ and Ricardo) and the LTI 'e-Mercury' electric vehicle. The latter was subsequently spun out as a stand-alone project. The independent company Modec now runs this project, and production commences in Coventry later this year's.
	The principle source of specific automotive industry-related funding is the Automotive Innovation and Growth Team (AIGT) suite of initiatives, including Supply Chain Groups, Automotive Academy and Centres of Excellence, against which a total commitment of £45 million has been made. Again, these do not discriminate as to nationality of ownership, although direct funding is available only to UK based companies and organisations.
	Tax incentives such as:
	R&D tax credits, to encourage greater R&D spending in order to promote investment in innovation;
	R&D allowances for capital expenditure on research and development; and; enhanced rates of Industrial Buildings Allowances for qualifying enterprise zone expenditure;
	are available to all companies in the UK irrespective of their ownership or the specific industrial sector in which they operate. The amounts by which individual companies have benefited from such measures are not a matter of public record and no breakdown would be available distinguishing between companies on the basis of their ownership.

Car Companies (Government Support)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the  (a) dates and  (b) amounts were of each (i) grant and (ii) loan offered to Peugeot by the Government in each of the last 10 years; and what terms and conditions were attached.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 28 June 2006
	In 1998, Peugeot was offered a RSA grant of £2 million towards the cost of investment to add a third shift at a time of strong demand for their 206 model. In November 2004, a further grant of £14.4 million was offered to Peugeot for manufacture of the 207 at Ryton, but the project did not proceed.
	The terms and conditions of the grants are confidential between the Government and Peugeot.
	No loans have been offered to the company.

Cast Medals Federation

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received from the Cast Metals Federation; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Cast Metals Federation is an active member of the Metals Forum, with which the Department has a regular dialogue on a number of issues affecting the UK metals industry. Indeed I have a meeting with the Forum scheduled for 13 July.

Compensation Claims

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions his Department has paid out a hearing loss claim including the full payment of medical examinations conducted by Melex Ltd.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 June 2006
	I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on24 April 2006,  Official Report, column 827W.

Compensation Claims

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to how many hearing loss claimants in Bassetlaw his Department has written since Easter to confirm payment of their claim to their solicitor; and on what date in each case.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 June 2006
	The Department wrote to 73 claimants on 22 May confirming that compensation had been paid to the claimant's solicitors but that a dispute existed over the level of the solicitor's costs.

Departmental Premises (Security)

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department has  (a) directly and  (b) indirectly employed illegal immigrants as security guards.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department of Trade and Industry has not employed either directly, or indirectly any illegal immigrants as security guards.
	The Department's security contractor carries out pre-employment identity and residency checks in compliance to the standards set by the Security Industry Authority (SIA). All security personnel employed on the Department's premises are also subject to security vetting before commencing work.

Electricity Prices

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received about the impact of recent changes in electricity prices on manufacturing industry; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: I have received a number of letters and have held several meetings with manufacturing sectors regarding the impact of recent changes in electricity prices.
	The Government fully appreciates that high electricity prices have an impact on the competitiveness of industry, and, of course, takes very seriously the potential loss of jobs and investment.
	I have also had discussions with the Energy Intensive Users Group and others to help us focus our efforts on maximising gas and electricity supplies, improve the operation of the market, encourage demand side response and pursue fair access to markets across Europe.
	Over the summer we are pursuing a detailed work plan with Ofgem, national grid, industry and others to ensure we are in the best possible position ahead of next winter. The new Business Energy Forum, which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 16 May, will hold its inaugural meeting on 5 July to discuss security of supply from a strategic view and enable us to maintain this high level of dialogue and input from these and other sectors.

Environmental Standards

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department  (a) is committed to the achievement of environmental management to ISO 14001 standard and  (b) has been externally certified as in compliance with that standard; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department for Trade and Industry has operated an Environmental Management System (EMS) certified to ISO 14001 since November 1999 which is compliant to the framework for sustainable development in Government. The EMS is a management tool used in achieving the Department's commitment to the environment. The certificate has been externally verified by a UKAS certified verification organisation.

EU Committees

David Heathcoat-Amory: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the dates on which  (a) the EU Anti-dumping and Anti-subsidy Committee and  (b) the Article 133 Committee met during the past 12 months; and if he will publish the minutes of those meetings.

Ian McCartney: The EC Anti-dumping and Anti-subsidy Advisory Committee has met on the following dates during the past 12 months:
	8 June 2005
	30 June 2005
	20 July 2005
	7 September 2005
	20 October 2005
	10 November 2005
	1 December 2005
	15 December 2005
	12 January 2006
	14 February 2006
	9 March 2006
	16 March 2006
	20 April 2006
	11 May 2006
	The minutes of the Advisory Committee are not available to the public. However, a person may apply to the Commission for access to these documents in accordance with the procedures set down in Regulation (EC) No. 1049/2001 of the European Parliament and the Council. Where a request is received, the Commission will consider whether the documents can be released or are covered by the exceptions set down in Article 4 of the Regulation.
	The Article 133 Committee meets weekly, once a month in full members format and three times a month in deputy members format. There are no formal minutes of these meetings. However the Secretariat of the Council of the European Union publishes outcomes from the Article 133 Committee in accordance with Council Regulation 1049/2001 (Regulation of the European Parliament and Council regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents). These documents can be accessed through the Council's website at http://ue.eu.int.

EU Structural Funds

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  when he expects an announcement to be made on the allocation of EU structural funds; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what consideration is being given to the alignment of future EU structural funding with the Government's domestic spending priorities; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what consideration is being given to providing additional domestic resources to support the objectives of regional development through EU structural funding; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Government are currently considering responses to our consultation documents published on 28 February setting out an approach to the allocation of EU structural funds and potential for alignment with domestic programmes. We hope to publish our conclusions by the beginning of September.
	The Government are committed to increasing the rate of growth of every region, to addressing the disparities between the nations and regions and, in England, to reducing the persistent gap in growth rates between regions. To this end, it is already providing significant resources to support regional economic development, including £2.2 billion annually for the Regional Development Agencies.

Insurance Industry

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to prevent the loss of insurance-related jobs in the UK to offshore locations.

Ian McCartney: In this globalised world, companies must be allowed to take the steps required to remain competitive. Location is a business decision for companies.
	The Government are well aware of concerns about the effects of offshoring, including on employment in the insurance sector. But we know from our consultations that there is a broad consensus in the UK that trade protectionism is not the right response. Instead, we must do all we can to ensure that those who are affected by decisions to offshore work are found alternative work as quickly as possible. We also need to ensure that the UK remains competitive and an attractive place in which other countries wish to do business.

Local Loop Unbundling

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what further targets he plans to set for local loop unbundling.

Margaret Hodge: The responsibility for local loop unbundling and further targets falls to the telecommunications regulator, Ofcom and the Telecommunications Adjudicator.
	The Telecommunications Adjudicator Scheme was initiated by Ofcom, the independent regulator of the communications sector, in July 2004 to ensure that the unbundling process takes place in a timely and effective way. Membership of this industry scheme is voluntary by BT Group PLC and the LLU operators. Any targets set by the independent Adjudicator are a matter for him on the basis of the best information then available.

Local Loop Unbundling

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that the target for 1.5 million lines to be unbundled from the local loop network by April 2007 is met.

Margaret Hodge: The target of 1.5 million lines to be unbundled was set by the telecommunications regulator, Ofcom and the Telecommunications Adjudicator. The responsibility for ensuring that the target is met falls to Ofcom, the industry and Telecommunications Adjudicator within that regulatory framework.
	However, I fully expect the target to be reached.
	Local loop unbundling offers greater scope for innovation and competition in broadband services and as such its roll-out is welcome.

London Olympics

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which officials in his Department  (a) are responsible for Olympics-related activity and  (b) sit on the Inter-Departmental Steering Group for the Olympics.

Margaret Hodge: David Hendon, Head of Business Relations 2 Directorate is the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for the Olympics project in DTI. He also sits on the Inter-Departmental Steering Group for the Olympics.

North West Regional Development Agency

Geraldine Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the public transport schemes which the North West Regional Development Agency supports; and which are in Morecambe and Lunesdale.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 29 June 2006
	The North West Regional Development Agency's (NWDA) priorities for transport are set out in the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES). The RES seeks to reduce levels of congestion by encouraging the use of public transport and reducing peak traffic volumes in all areas across the region.
	The 10 year regional transport priorities have been submitted to Government as part of the Regional Funding Allocation process: there are no public transport schemes specifically in Morecambe and Lunesdale, but a number of public transport schemes across Lancashire are included in the investment programme.
	The NWDA is financially supporting the Lancashire Rural Pathfinder Project which is seeking to establish alternative approaches for access to services in rural communities. It covers a number of constituencies in Lancashire including Morecambe and Lunesdale.

Nuclear Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1635W, on nuclear power, if he will place in the Library a copy of the studies referred to, including a translation into English where the study is in a foreign language.

Malcolm Wicks: I have arranged for a copy of the studies referred to in my previous answer to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Offshore Wind Development

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken to facilitate the development of offshore wind after 2010.

Malcolm Wicks: The Renewables Obligation is the Government's key mechanism for encouraging new renewable generating capacity and will stay in place until 2027. The current Energy Review is looking at a wide range of issues including emerging renewable technologies such as offshore wind and will report shortly.
	The DTI has a 2010 Target Team to remove the barriers to development of renewable energy and achieve the Government's target of 10 per cent. of electricity by 2010.
	Many of the issues being tackled will assist the development of offshore wind beyond 2010. The higher cost of developing offshore wind remains an issue and the costs of connection to the electricity grid is a part of that. Grid connections are likely to form 10-15 per cent. of capital costs for the Round 2 wind farms given the considerable cable lengths involved.
	Certainty about how the grid connection costs will be funded, and the regulation that controls them, is therefore a key factor that developers need in preparing their business models.
	In March this year the Government announced their decision to extend the existing onshore model of regulation of transmission links. Following a joint consultation with Ofgem the Government concluded that this approach has a number of clear advantages for offshore projects.
	First, extending the regulated price control approach offshore will ensure consistency with the regulatory arrangements onshore. Second, it will provide a financial benefit to offshore developers—by spreading the costs they face to connect to the onshore electricity system over a number of years. Finally it will also mean that the responsibility for developing the offshore transmission network will be shared by the system operator and the transmission asset owners who can bring their existing expertise to bear.
	The DTI and Ofgem are now leading the project to put the new regime in place to connect a proportion of Round 2 projects in time to contribute to the 2010 target, and to ensure there is an enduring framework in place beyond 2010 for offshore wind and other forms of offshore renewables.
	The Government have provided capital grants of £107 million to stimulate early development of a significant number of offshore wind farms under the Round 1 offshore wind programme. This will have a significant benefit in the development of offshore wind post 2010 by underpinning the development of the industry and equipment supply chains and build skills, providing a learning experience which can improve confidence and help reduce future costs and enable future projects to proceed without the need for grant support.
	The DTI established the Research Advisory Group (RAG) to facilitate a co-ordinated approach among the regulatory and funding bodies to address the key impact issues of Round 2 wind farm proposals. The DTI has allocated an initial programme budget of up to £2.5 million for offshore wind farm issues and has collated a list of the potential environmental issues in relation to offshore wind farms and has taken forward and funded a number of these projects.
	The DTI, MOD and Civil Aviation Authorities are working to develop mitigation technologies for offshore and onshore radar issues.
	The Renewables Advisory Board is also working on the longer term economics of offshore wind to identify cost savings for Round 2 projects.
	While Round 2 offshore wind projects will contribute to our targets for 2010 and beyond, there are also enormous economic benefits for the UK in offshore wind. The DTFs Business Development Team is working to ensure that UK companies maximise the opportunities for offshore wind projects.

Outer Mongolia

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implications for British and other foreign investment in outer Mongolia of the recent introduction in that country of an excess profits windfall tax; and if he will take steps to impress upon the Mongolian authorities the importance of retaining a stable, reasonable, competitive, consistent and predictable tax regime for foreign companies investing in Mongolia.

Ian McCartney: The windfall tax to which the question refers is a tax of 68 per cent. on gold and copper and was introduced by the Mongolian Parliament in May 2006. While I am not aware of any British investment in either of these sectors, this move will undoubtedly have negative implications for other foreign investors. British companies are however active in other sectors, albeit at an exploratory stage. In addition, a new minerals law is currently before the Mongolian Parliament, and as drafted, this law contains a number of provisions that in our view would discourage investment. Our embassy in Ulaanbaatar is monitoring the situation carefully, and we take every opportunity to impress upon the Government the need to provide a fair and transparent business environment in order to encourage the large-scale investment that the country badly needs.

Reduced ignition Propensity Cigarettes

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome was of the recent discussions between UK Government officials and European Union officials on Reduced Ignition Propensity cigarettes; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 29 June 2006
	There have been recent discussions within theGeneral Product Safety Directive Committee meeting on 14 June 2006. The UK position in those discussions (agreed between my Department, the Department of Health and the Department for Communities and Local Government) was that there was sufficient evidence to recommend the development of a European technical standard for Reduced Ignition Propensity cigarettes. The European Commission has indicated that it will undertake further investigation into the need for such action.
	The Government will issue a statement regarding Reduced Ignition Propensity cigarettes shortly.

Research and Development Grants

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) individuals and  (b) businesses in (i) Lewisham, Deptford constituency and (ii) Lewisham borough received a grant for research and development in each of the past two years.

Margaret Hodge: The London Development Agency, who have responsibility for administering the Grant for Research and Development in London, have confirmed that no individuals or businesses have been offered grants in the Lewisham, Deptford constituency or within the London borough of Lewisham in the past two years.

Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the interpretation and implementation of the restriction of hazardous substances directive in the UK with that in  (a) Germany,  (b) Spain and  (c) other European member states; and what assessment he has made of the extent of a risk of an illegal barrier to trade being created.

Malcolm Wicks: The assessment of legislation in other member states is a matter for the European Commission. Due to the single market legal basis of the RoHS Directive, the Commission is obliged to take action where any member state's legislation does not fully meet the aims and objectives. In addition, it should be noted that member states cannot go beyond the requirements imposed by a single market directive.

Small Businesses

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses that began trading in 1997 have subsequently ceased trading in  (a) Ribble Valley and  (b) Lancashire; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business starts and closures. Latest VAT data on the total number of registrations since 1997 and the number of these registrations that subsequently de-registered, to the end of 2004, are shown in the following table for  (a) Ribble Valley and  (b) Lancashire.
	VAT registrations do not capture all start-up activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Only 1.8 million out of 4.3 million enterprises (42 per cent.) in the UK were registered for VAT at the start of 2004. Similarly, not all businesses that de-register will necessarily have closed.
	
		
			  VAT registrations and subsequent de-registrations, 1997 to 2004( 1) 
			  Ribble Valley  
			 New registrations 1997 to 2004 2,435 
			 Number de-registering by end of 2004 695 
			 Percentage still registered, end of 2004 71 
			   
			  Lancashire  
			 New registrations 1997 to 2004 24,070 
			 Number de-registering by end of 2004 8,010 
			 Percentage still registered, end of 2004 67 
			 (1 )VAT registration and de-registration data are not available by size of business. However, 98 per cent. of the total stock of VAT registered businesses are small (0-49 employees). Source: Office for National Statistics, UK Business: Activity, Size and Location—2005, available from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=933.  Source: New analysis of VAT survival rates data 1994 to 2003, Small Business Service, available at http://www.sbs.gov.uk/survival: SBS analysis of ONS Inter Departmental Business Register data. 
		
	
	Business closures are part of the functioning of a dynamic economy and represent an increased willingness among the business population to take risks or the displacement of less productive and innovative firms by more productive ones. Regional disparities in start-up and closure rates can have their root in the different economic history and different opportunities available in each region. The Government's aim is for every region to achieve success and good economic growth, which is why increasing resources have been put at the disposal of each regional development agency.

Sunbed Industry

Si�n James: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate has been made of the number of companies in the UK who offer sunbeds for  (a) hire and  (b) sale to members of the public.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has not made estimates of the number of companies in the UK which hire or sell sunbeds to members of the public. Official statistics on the relevant sections of the retail and service sectors, which are collected by the Office for National Statistics, are not sufficiently detailed to separately identify companies dealing in sunbeds.

UK Regulatory Framework

Geoffrey Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the extent to which the UK regulatory framework encourages domestic and inward investment; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: International studies rate the UK as having one of the most favourable regulatory regimes for business in the world. In 2005 the OECD ranked the UK 2nd only to Australia with regard to the quality of its product market regulation, while the World Bank placed the UK top among the major economies for regulatory quality.
	An assessment of the UK's productivity and competitiveness is reported annually in the Productivity and Competitiveness Indicators. This reveals that the UK's light touch product market regulation makes the UK an attractive place for foreign investors: it has the highest stock of inward investment of any G7 country, as a percentage of GDP. The UK Government recognise that these benefits stem from an effective regulatory framework, which is why better regulation is an important focus of current government policy.
	The UK's competition regime also forms an important part of its regulatory framework and here again independent assessment by expert peer reviewers KPMG placed the UK's regime 3rd in the world in 2004. Also, the Global Competition Review has praised the UK's Competition Commission as one of the best competition enforcement agencies in the world coming joint first (with the US Federal Trade Commission and Department of Justice). Encouraging a high level of competition acts as a catalyst for firms to invest and innovate in order to stay ahead of their competitors.

UK Trade (Baltic States)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of UK trade was with  (a) the Baltic states and  (b) each Baltic state in the latest period for which figures are available.

Ian McCartney: The percentage of total UK trade with the Baltic States in 2005 was 0.34 per cent. The percentage of total UK trade in 2005 with Estonia was 0.10; with Latvia 0.16 per cent. and with Lithuania 0.09 per cent.

UK Trade (Baltic States)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of how UK trade with  (a) the Baltic states and  (b) each Baltic state has developed since they joined the EU.

Ian McCartney: The information is as follows.
	 (a) Total UK trade with the Baltic States increased from 1,482 million in 2003 to 1,647 million in 2005, representing an increase of 11.2 per cent.
	 (b) Changes in UK trade with the individual Baltic States since EU accession are as follows:
	
		
			   2003 ( million)  2005 ( million)  Percentage increase/decrease 
			 Estonia 382 462 21 (increase) 
			 Latvia 621.3 767 23.5 (increase) 
			 Lithuania 478.6 417 11.2 (decrease)

Union Modernisation Fund

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many individuals applied to be members of the current Supervisory Board of the Union Modernisation Fund.

Jim Fitzpatrick: 12 individuals applied for the post of chair; 32 applied to be members of the Supervisory Board. Some individuals applied for both roles.

Union Modernisation Fund

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how he monitors the effectiveness of  (a) the Supervisory Board of the Union Modernisation Fund and  (b) the Union Modernisation Fund; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Members of the Supervisory Board are selected by open competition. Recruitment is conducted in accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Code of Practice for Ministerial Appointments to Public Bodies, with support from the Office of the Commissioner for Public appointments (OCPA). The Nolan Principles of Public Life, which are the foundations of the public appointments process and provide guidance on the standards expected of public appointees, apply to this appointment.
	The Supervisory Board advises Ministers on applications to UMF and other issues. The secretariat to the board is provided by DTI officials, who are in regular communication.
	DTI is working with Leeds University Business School to conduct a phased evaluation of the fund. Phase 1 is evaluating the operational effectiveness of the first round of bidding. Phase 2 will evaluate the success of supported projects and impact of fund monies via a series of case studies. All successful unions are obliged under grant offer terms to co-operate with this evaluation activity.

Union Modernisation Fund

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which unions have received funding from the Union Modernisation Fund in 2005-06; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following organisations were successful under Round One of the UMF: Retained Firefighters Union; Nationwide Group Staff Union; GMB; Communication Workers Union; Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union; Wales TUC, Lloyds TSB Group Union; National Union of Teachers; Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists; Royal College of Midwives; Union of Finance Staff; United Road Transport Union; Equity; Transport and General Workers Union; Community and District Nursing Association; Community; British Dental Association; Transport Salaried Staffs' Association; Connect; USDAW; Prospect; National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers; National Union of Journalists; Trades Union Congress; Community and Youth Workers Union; ASLEF; West Bromwich Building Society Staff Union; General Federation of Trade Unions; Portman Group Staff Association; Ceramic and Allied Trades Union (now Unity); and Amicus.
	This information is available on the DTI website at reference: http://www.dti.gov.uk/employment/trade-union-rights/modernisation/page 16097.html.

Waste Strategy

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which areas are being considered for storage of nuclear waste.

Malcolm Wicks: The low-level waste facility in West Cumbria is the only site in the UK licensed for the disposal of low-level waste (LLW). LLW is transported there by rail and road in purpose designed and licensed containers for disposal in the engineered vaults.
	Options for the long-term management of higher activity wastes are currently the subject of consideration and evaluation by the independent Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM). CoRWM are due to make their final recommendations to Government in July 2006. The long-term management policy for these higher activity wastes will then be decided by UK Government and the devolved administrations in the light of CoRWM's recommendations.
	CoRWM has made a preliminary announcement that its recommendation is for deep geological disposal with robust interim surface storage.
	The process of selecting a site or sites for whatever facility is ultimately chosen for dealing with these wastes will be undertaken in a similarly open and transparent manner as the work of CoRWM, with opportunities for the public to be involved and to influence the decisions directly.

Wind Turbines

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account is taken of the risk of death or injury of birds from wind turbines in the formulation of Government policy on wind farms.

Malcolm Wicks: Government policy ensures that all wind farm applications made under Section 36 of the Electricity Act are accompanied by an environmental impact assessment which includes details of the likely impact on all parts of the environment, including birds. Application for smaller scale windfarms are submitted to the relevant planning authority to determine under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 and it would be for that authority to say whether an EIA was required.
	When considering an application, consultation will take place with a range of stakeholders, including statutory advisers on nature conservation and protection of the environment, as well as others who express an interest in the proposal. This ensures that decisions on whether to give approval for a wind farm are considered in the light of the best available information about its likely impacts.
	In addition, should it be considered that there could be an impact on protected species or their habitats then an appropriate assessment must be undertaken pursuant to the Conservation (Natural Habitats,c.) Regulations 1994, irrespective of who the decision taker may be. In such circumstances the decision taker must consult the appropriate nature conservation body (English Nature, Countryside Council for Wales or Scottish Natural Heritage) and take its views into account before taking any decision on whether to approve the application.
	Furthermore, DTI has established a Research Advisory Group to fund research into the impact of wind farms on the environment. This includes a joint study with wind farm developers and DEFRA to collect data on the distribution of sea birds in the three strategic offshore wind farm areas, the results of which will inform decisions on the grant of consent for wind farm projects in those areas.

World Expo 2010

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what resources his Department has allocated to British participation in the World Expo in 2010.

Ian McCartney: The Government are considering the Chinese Government's formal invitation to participate in the Shanghai Expo 2010. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is looking at how UK participation might be funded and is discussing this with a wide range of possible stakeholders including Government Departments, other parts of the public sector, and many private sector companies. The Department is involved in this process.
	There is a strong support across Whitehall for UK participation in Shanghai Expo. We want to deliver an impressive UK presence. The Government are drawing up detailed plans (including finance) in consultation with the British business community and other key organisations, to identify how best to maximise UK presence at the Expo.

Zimbabwe

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 16( )June 2006,  Official Report, column 1422W, on Zimbabwe, which UK companies  (a) import goods or services from Zimbabwe,  (b) export goods or services to Zimbabwe and  (c) otherwise operate in Zimbabwe; and if he will break down the figures by industrial sector.

Ian McCartney: Data are not available on UK exports to or imports from Zimbabwe by individual companies. The following statistics provide information on the main exports and imports by product for 2005.
	
		
			  Top 10 UK Exports in 2005 to Zimbabwe 
			  Division and Description  000 
			 78 Road vehicles 3,473 
			 75 Office machines and ADP equipment 3,379 
			 72 Specialised industrial machinery 2,370 
			 76 Telecommunications and sound recording and reproducing apparatus 1,545 
			 74 General industrial machinery and equipment, nes and machine parts nes 1,528 
			 71 Power generating machinery and equipment 1,238 
			 00 Live animals other than of Division 03 740 
			 26 Textile fibres 716 
			 87 Professional, scientific and control instruments (and apparatus nes) 702 
			 77 Electrical machinery, apparatus and appliances, nes and electrical parts thereof 670 
			 Total of top 10 16,362 
			 Total trade 22,113 
		
	
	
		
			  Top 10 UK Imports in 2005 from Zimbabwe 
			  Division and Description  000 
			 66 Non-metallic mineral manufactures 14,970 
			 06 Sugar, sugar preparations and honey 13,087 
			 05 Vegetables and fruit 7,182 
			 12 Tobacco and tobacco manufactures 4,768 
			 82 Furniture and parts thereof; bedding , mattresses, supports, cushions and similar stuffed furnishings 912 
			 07 Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures thereof 495 
			 65 Textile yarn, fabrics, made-up articles, nes 374 
			 67 Iron and steel 217 
			 84 Articles of apparel and clothing accessories 144 
			 79 Other transport equipment 117 
			 Total of top 10 42,266 
			 Total trade 43,564 
			  Source: DTI Analysis of HM Revenue and Customs data.

British Muslim Citizenship Toolkits

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many British Muslim citizenship toolkits have been issued to (a) mosques, (b) parents and (c) young people in Luton since their introduction.

Meg Munn: I have been asked to reply.
	The development of a British Muslim citizenship toolkit was one of the recommendations of the Preventing Extremism Together report published in November 2005 by workgroups from the Muslim community.
	The Government are supporting individuals and organisations to implement the recommendations but responsibility for them lies with the Muslim community. Good progress is being made on a number of the recommendations and Government are encouraging Muslim organisations to develop this toolkit

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 4 April 2006 from the hon. Member for Walsall, North, reference M9042/6.

Liam Byrne: Tony McNulty replied to the hon. Member for Walsall, North on 4 May 2006 and I also replied on 26 June 2006,

Crime Statistics

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of (a) (i) serious, (ii) major, (iii) organised crime and (b) counter terrorism activity there have been in Cumbria in each year from 1996 to 2006.

Tony McNulty: There are no commonly recognised definitions of serious and major crime. Figures are instead provided in the following tables for violent crimes recorded by Cumbria Constabulary.
	Corresponding figures for organised crime are not collected centrally.
	The only available information on counter terrorism activity indicate that Cumbria Constabulary made three stop/searches under anti-terrorism legislation in 1996-97 but did not make any over the period 1997-98 to 2004-05.
	
		
			 Table 1: Recorded offences of violent crime in Cumbria 
			  Number of offences 
			 1996 2,873 
			 1997 3,158 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Recorded offences of violent crime in Cumbria(1) 
			  Number of offences 
			 1998-99 5,901 
			 1999-2000 5,456 
			 2000-01 4,414 
			 2001-02 5,723 
			 (1) In April 1998, the coverage was expanded and counting rules revised. Data is therefore not comparable with that for earlier years. 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Recorded offences of violent crime in Cumbria(1) 
			  Number of offences 
			 2002-03 6,069 
			 2003-04 7,291 
			 2004-05 9,641 
			 (1) In April 2002, the National Crime Recording Standard was introduced. Data is therefore not comparable with that for earlier years.

Hollesley Bay Prison (Absconded Prisoners)

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners have absconded from Hollesley Bay Prison in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There have been 106 absconds from Hollesley Bay open prison in the last five years. Details of these are shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Absconds from HMP Hollesley Bay 2001-02 and 2005-06 
			  Total number of absconds 
			 2001-02 8 
			 2002-03 14 
			 2003-04 36 
			 2004-05 32 
			 2005-06 16 
			 Total 106

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate have (a) resigned and (b) been sacked in each of the last 36 months.

Liam Byrne: The following data provides the numbers of employees who have left the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in each year. Reliable data on leavers broken down by month or prior to January 2004 can be provided only at disproportionate cost to the Department excluding dismissals.
	
		
			  Leavers(1) 
			 2006(2) 998 
			 2005 2,717 
			 2004 1,176 
			 (1) Data includes all leavers including resignations, retirements, end of contract etc. and will include agency staff, many of whom will leave at the end of their contract and possibly re-join the organisation. (2) Data from 1 January 2006 to 18 June 2006. 
		
	
	
		
			 Number of employees of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate who have been dismissed(1) in each month from January 2005 to May 2006(2) 
			  Dismissals 
			 2006  
			 May 10 
			 April 7 
			 March 3 
			 February 8 
			 January 8 
			 2005  
			 December 8 
			 November 4 
			 October 4 
			 September 5 
			 August 6 
			 July 6 
			 June 9 
			 May 10 
			 April 6 
			 March 12 
			 February 7 
			 January 14 
			 (1) The data for dismissals include all dismissals for misconduct, poor performance, and poor attendance.  (2) Reliable data on dismissals prior to January 2005 can be provided only at disproportionate cost to the Department.

London Bombings Inquiry

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions his Department has had in the last month about a public inquiry into the 7 July bombings; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Government have carefully considered the possibility of a public inquiry into the 7 July London bombings but has concluded that this would not add to our understanding of the causes of those atrocities. The Government continue to hold this view. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary and officials in my Department have had a number of discussions on this issue recently with families of the victims of the bombings.
	A number of parliamentary and other inquiries (some of which are complete and some of which are on-going) address specific aspects of the events. A public inquiry would divert resources at a time when the police and agencies are actively engaged in the continuing investigation into the events of 7 July and the detection and prevention of further atrocities.

National Insurance Numbers

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals applying for a national insurance number and referred to the immigration and nationality directorate due to (a) suspicion about their eligibility to work in the UK, (b) the use of false documents and (c) other reasons were (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted in each of the last five years.

Liam Byrne: Information on the number of investigations and prosecutions from specific referrals to the immigration and nationality directorate (IND) from the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) could be obtained only by individually searching IND databases for the outcome of each referral received.
	
		
			  October 2004 to March 2005 April 2005 to March 2006 
			 Investigations initiated 412 703 
			 Prosecutions 150 359 
			 Convictions 149 354 
			 Note:  Invalidated management information which excludes IND's border control directorate crime team investigations as they fall outside the referrals process.

Non-custodial Sentences

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to question 78652, what the differences are between the non-custodial sentences referred to.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This table describes the community sentences and other relevant community disposals available for young offenders. Further information on these sentences is available on the Youth Justice Board Website.
	
		
			 Community sentences available for juveniles 
			 Order Who it applies to Description Length 
			 Action plan order 10-17s A short intensive community based programme which may include reparation, attendance centre and offence conformation sessions. Three months 
			 Attendance centre order 10-17s The centres are run on Saturdays. Sessions (usually two hours long) involve physical exercise and group work. Between four and 24 hours 
			 Curfew orders with electronic monitoring 10-17s Courts have the power to make curfew orders backed with electronic monitoring for juvenile offenders. The tagged curfews can help to break patterns of offending by keeping juvenile offenders off the streets and out of trouble at the times they are most likely to offend. Up to six months 
			 Supervision order 10-17s The young person is supervised by a member of the YOT. A range of conditions may be attached for more serious offences. These include drug treatment (for 16+s since the Crime and Disorder Act) residence requirements, curfews, activities specified by the YOT (normally reparation, offending behaviour, group work, anger management etc.). dy' supervision order since the Crime and Disorder Act. From six months to three years (usually one year) 
			 Referral order 10-17s Youth courts refer young people, who plead guilty and are convicted for the first time, to youth offender panels. The youth offender panels design an intervention programme with the young person to tackle his/her offending behaviour. From 3-12 months 
			 Community punishment and rehabilitation order 16+ Requires the offender to be under supervision and to perform unpaid work for not less than 40 and not more than 100 hours. Between 12 months and three years 
			 Community punishment order 16+ Involves undertaking unpaid work in the communitye.g. carpentry workshops, conservation, decorating or caring tasks for the elderly/vulnerable. Between 40 to 240 hours 
			 Community rehabilitation order 16+ The equivalent of supervision, overseen by the probation service and only available for mature 16 and 17-year-olds. It can have conditions attached (e.g. residence at probation hostel). From six months to three years (usually one year) 
			 Intensive supervision and surveillance programme (ISSP) 10-17s Not a court order. Route onto ISSP is either via bail, as part of a community order or community part of the DTO. Young offender is subject to intensive supervision consisting of highly structured, individual programmes to tackle the causes of offending behaviour and intensive surveillance consisting of either tracking, electronic tagging, voice verification, or intelligence-led policing. 6-12 months intensive supervision of at least 25 hours per week for first 3-6 months, reassessed thereafter 
			 Reparation order 10-17s Not within the stable of community sentences as such. The young person is required to make reparation to the victim of the offence or to the community in general. This engages the individual in some practical reparative activity which brings home the consequences of their offence. No more than 24 hours in aggregate

Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  which prisons he has visited since his appointment;
	(2)  which prisons the Minister for prisons has visited in each of the last eight years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Secretary of State for the Home Department visited Wandsworth prison on 28 June 2006.
	No single Minister has sole responsibility for prisons policy. However, the Ministers listed in the following table have had responsibility for areas of prison policy in the last eight years.
	
		
			 Ministerial prison visits by Home Office Ministers since 1999 
			  Date 
			 Lord Bassam of Brighton  
			 Lewes 10 November 1999 
			 Chelmsford 3 December 1999 
			 Bullwood Hall 3 December 1999 
			 Downview 10 December 1999 
			 Highdown 10 December 1999 
			 Feltham 17 March 2000 
			 Albany 1 June 2000 
			 Camp Hill 1 June 2000 
			 Parkhurst 2 June 2000 
			 Dover 13 October 2000 
			 Birmingham 4 May 2001 
			   
			 Hilary Benn  
			 Leeds 14 June 2002 
			 Winchester 4 July 2002 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 9 July 2002 
			 Belmarsh 10 July 2002 
			 Askham Grange 15 July 2002 
			 Brixton 25 July 2002 
			 Portland 27 August 2002 
			 The Weare 27 August 2002 
			 Lewes 28 August 2002 
			 Ashfield 29 August 2002 
			 East Sutton Park 3 September 2002 
			 Wayland 17 September 2002 
			 Reading 20 September 2002 
			 Feltham 23 September 2002 
			 Holloway 23 September 2002 
			 Wetherby 7 October 2002 
			 Lincoln 24 October 2002 
			 New Hall 15 November 2002 
			 Feltham 26 November 2002 
			 Leeds 24 January 2003 
			 Wandsworth 29 January 2003 
			 Leicester 10 March 2003 
			 Wandsworth 27 March 2003 
			 Exeter 7 April 2003 
			 Aylesbury 10 April 2003 
			   
			 Paul Boateng  
			 Durham 2 July 1999 
			 Aylesbury 3 August 1999 
			 Whitemoor 4 August 1999 
			 Wandsworth 6 August 1999 
			 Leeds 14 September 1999 
			 Parc 23 September 1999 
			 Brixton 4 October 1999 
			 Holloway 5 October 1999 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 13 October 1999 
			 Littlehey 20 October 1999 
			 Feltham 28 October 1999 
			 Wandsworth 2 November 1999 
			 Brixton 4 November 1999 
			 Feltham 11 November 1999 
			 Belmarsh 25 November 1999 
			 Highpoint 15 December 1999 
			 Lindholme 21 December 1999 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 31 December 1999 
			 Pentonville 31 December 1999 
			 Manchester 11 February 2000 
			 Forest Bank 11 February 2000 
			 Pentonville 13 February 2000 
			 North Sea Camp 15 February 2000 
			 Coldingley 23 February 2000 
			 Altcourse 21 March 2000 
			 Portland 13 April 2000 
			 Weare 13 April 2000 
			 Featherstone 8 May 2000 
			 Styal 6 June 2000 
			 The Mount 8 June 2000 
			 Frankland 19 June 2000 
			 Low Newton 19 June 2000 
			 Holloway 5 July 2000 
			 Blantyre House 5 July 2000 
			 Exeter 7 July 2000 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 9 July 2000 
			 Bristol 11 July 2000 
			 Leyhill 11 July 2000 
			 East Sutton Park 11 July 2000 
			 Grendon/Springhill 13 July 2000 
			 Wandsworth 20 July 2000 
			 Birmingham 7 September 2000 
			 Norwich 21 September 2000 
			 Hatfield 4 October 2000 
			 Moorland 4 October 2000 
			 Blantyre House 16 October 2000 
			 Reading 25 October 2000 
			 Holloway 31 October 2000 
			 Brixton 2 November 2000 
			 Littlehey 2 November 2000 
			 Grendon 16 November 2000 
			 Gloucester 19 November 2000 
			 Woodhill 23 November 2000 
			 Bedford 23 November 2000 
			 Wandsworth 24 November 2000 
			 Pentonville 11 December 2000 
			 The Mount 14 December 2000 
			 Holloway 18 December 2000 
			 Feltham 31 December 2000 
			 Whatton 6 February 2001 
			 Ashfield 28 February 2001 
			 Chelmsford 27 March 2001 
			 Stoke Heath 28 March 2001 
			 Brinsford 28 March 2001 
			 Wellingborough 10 April 2001 
			 Littlehey 10 April 2001 
			 Pentonville 25 April 2001 
			 Wandsworth 25 April 2001 
			 Liverpool 1 May 2001 
			   
			 Paul Goggins  
			 Brixton 2 June 2003 
			 Onley 12 June 2003 
			 Wandsworth 19 June 2003 
			 Pentonville 7 July 2003 
			 Styal 21 July 2003 
			 Frankland 21 August 2003 
			 Birmingham 6 September 2003 
			 Liverpool 10 September 2003 
			 Brixton 15 September 2003 
			 Wealstun 9 October 2003 
			 Holloway 23 October 2003 
			 Everthorpe 11 November 2003 
			 Whitemoor 11 December 2003 
			 Garth 10 December 2003 
			 Wymott 10 December 2003 
			 Whitemoor 12 December 2003 
			 Manchester 25 December 2003 
			 Styal 22 January 2004 
			 Wandsworth 27 January 2004 
			 Belmarsh 3 February 2004 
			 Manchester 9 February 2004 
			 New Hall 25 February 2004 
			 Wandsworth 4 March 2004 
			 Norwich 10 March 2004 
			 Ford 11 March 2004 
			 Holme House 18 March 2004 
			 Bedford 21 April 2004 
			 Birmingham 23 April 2004 
			 The Verne 28 April 2004 
			 The Weare 28 April 2004 
			 Low Newton 6 May 2004 
			 Cardiff 17 June 2004 
			 Wandsworth 30 June 2004 
			 Exeter 16 September 2004 
			 Dartmoor 17 September 2004 
			 Askham Grange 21 October 2004 
			 Parkhurst 11 November 2004 
			 Camp Hill 11 November 2004 
			 Albany 11 November 2004 
			 Elmley 18 November 2004 
			 Swaleside 18 November 2004 
			 Gloucester 29 November 2004 
			 Brixton 9 December 2004 
			 Forest Bank 25 December 2004 
			 Grendon 13 January 2005 
			 Springhill 13 January 2005 
			 Lancaster Castle 27 January 2005 
			 Lancaster Farms 27 January 2005 
			 Liverpool 24 February 2005 
			 Usk 2 March 2005 
			 Prescoed 2 March 2005 
			 Featherstone 3 March 2005 
			 Preston 10 March 2005 
			 Styal 17 March 2005 
			 Peterborough 23 March 2005 
			 Ranby 24 March 2005 
			   
			 George Howarth  
			 Feltham 10 July 1997 
			 Moorland 2 September 1997 
			 Lindholme 2 September 1997 
			 Lancaster Castle 13 October 1997 
			 Lancaster Farms 13 October 1997 
			 Wetherby 4 November 1997 
			 Thorn Cross 6 November 1997 
			 Channings Wood 26 November 1997 
			 Liverpool 15 December 1997 
			 Portland 13 January 1998 
			 Manchester 26 January 1998 
			 Usk/Prescoed 29 January 1998 
			 Huntercombe 17 February 1998 
			 Pentonville 7 April 1998 
			 Reading 23 July1998 
			 Hindley 7 January 1999 
			 Cardiff 26 January 1999 
			   
			 Beverley Hughes  
			 Feltham 16 January 2001 
			 Feltham 20 June 2001 
			 Parc 22 June 2001 
			 Brixton 5 July 2001 
			 Risley 9 July 2001 
			 Leeds 8 August 2001 
			 East Sutton Park 4 September 2001 
			 Full Sutton 10 October 2001 
			 Belmarsh 24 January 2002 
			 Leyhill 31 January 2002 
			 Cardiff 1 February 2002 
			 Nottingham 5 February 2002 
			 Huntercombe 7 February 2002 
			 Whitemoor 7 March 2002 
			 Bristol 14 March 2002 
			 Low Newton 18 March 2002 
			 BullwoodHall 9 May 2002 
			   
			 Fiona Mactaggart  
			 Holloway 17 May 2005 
			 Feltham YOI 20 May 2005 
			 Frankland 1 June 2005 
			 Leicester 25 July 2005 
			 Holloway 27 July 2005 
			 Durham 15 August 2005 
			 Kirklevington Grange 15 August 2005 
			 Reading 17 August 2005 
			 Eastwood Park 22 August 2005 
			 Gloucester 22 August 2005 
			 Bristol 23 August 2005 
			 Dorchester 23 August 2005 
			 Wandsworth 13 September 2005 
			 Rochester 15 September 2005 
			 Lewes 26 September 2005 
			 Downview 29 September 2005 
			 Birmingham 30 November 2005 
			 Bullingdon 12 December 2005 
			 Dartmoor 23 December 2005 
			 Belmarsh 14 February 2006 
			 Coldingley 16 February 2005 
			 Hindley 10 April 2006 
			 Wakefield 11 April 2006 
			 New Hall 11 April 2006 
			   
			 Baroness Scotland of Asthal  
			 Bristol 16 October 2003 
			 Manchester 26 May 2005 
			 Wellington 16 June 2005 
			 Brixton 30 June 2005 
			 Pentonville 12 July 2005 
			 Liverpool 15 July 2005 
			 Altcourse 15 July 2005 
			 Chlemsford 3 October 2005 
			 Askham Grange 4 November 2005 
			 Wetherby 4 November 2005 
			 Preston 24 November 2005 
			 Wandsworth 8 March 2006 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 8 March 2006 
			 Parc 9 March 2006 
			   
			 Gerry Sutcliffe  
			 Holloway 25 May 2006 
			 Leeds 26 May 2006 
			   
			 Lord Williams of Mostyn  
			 Wandsworth 19 June 1998 
			 Belmarsh 19 June 1998 
			 Coldingley 6 August 1998 
			 Cardiff 26 August 1998 
			 Manchester 9 September 1998 
			 Woodhill 11 September 1998 
			 Parc 14 September 1998 
			 Thorn Cross 16 September 1998 
			 Blakenhurst 18 September 1998 
			 Cookham Wood 22 September 1998 
			 Rochester 22 September 1998 
			 Brixton 25 September 1998 
			 Whitemoor 29 September 1998 
			 High Point 29 September 1998 
			 Doncaster 9 October 1998 
			 Lindholme 9 October 1998 
			 Bristol 23 October 1998 
			 Elmley 30 October 1998 
			 Gloucester 31 October 1998 
			 Brockhill 13 November 1998 
			 Heysham site 20 November 1998 
			 Preston 20 November 1998 
			 Garth 27 November 1998 
			 Wymott 27 November 1998 
			 The Verne 11 December 1998 
			 Weare 11 December 1998 
			 Newbold Revel 4 February 1999 
			 Haverigg 5 February 1999 
			 Newbold Revel 16 February 1999 
			 Woodhill 18 February 1999 
			 Buckley Hall 19 February 1999 
			 Gloucester 20 February 1999 
			 Sudbury 26 February 1999 
			 Glen Parva 5 March 1999 
			 Kirkham 9 April 1999 
			 Lancaster 9 April 1999 
			 Birmingham 16 April 1999 
			 Holloway 12 May 1999 
			 Bullwood Hall 14 May 1999 
			 Chelmsford 14 May 1999 
			 Huntercombe 28 May 1999 
			 Buckley Hall 2 June 1999 
			 Wymott 2 June 1999 
			 Cardiff 4 June 1999 
			 Eastwood Park 4 June 1999 
			 Blundeston 25 June 1999 
			 Askham Grange 9 July 1999 
			 Wetherby 9 July 1999 
			 Wakefield 23 July 1999

Security Industry Authority

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are employed by the Security Industry Authority to process licence applications; and what training they are given.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 19 June 2006
	The Security Industry Authority (SIA) have contracted BT Syntegra as their Managed Service Provider (MSP) to process all aspects of licence applications, with the exception of the final licensing decision. BT Syntegra have employed and extensively trained 152 full-time employees to carry out this task.
	To increase processing capacity during this period of high demand, the SIA have supplemented the MSP staffing levels with a temporary in-house processing centre employing an additional 12 security cleared temporary staff who work directly to the SIA. These temporary staff members are supervised at all times and are only utilised to initially check accurate completion of application forms and identification documents. They received comprehensive induction training prior to deployment, and are issued with training notes and guidance templates. Following induction they shadow experienced permanent employees for a minimum of one week, and are subject to daily coaching and supervision. Also daily training sessions provide extra guidance on application/document checks.

Small and Medium-sized Organisations

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect of Regulation 7 (1) of the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Registration) Regulations 2006 on small and medium-sized organisations;
	(2)  which organisations have had their registered body status cancelled as a result of the Police Act 1997 (Criminal Records) (Registration) Regulations 2006;
	(3)  if he will commission a race equality impact assessment in relation to the decision of the Criminal Records Bureau to cancel the registration of organisations that submit fewer than 100 disclosure applications each year;
	(4)  for what reason the Criminal Records Bureau requires a minimum of 100 disclosure applications to be made by a body for that body to qualify as a registered body.

Joan Ryan: Following a public consultation exercise last year, a full regulatory impact assessment was completed, and placed in the Library along with the regulations. This included a small firm's impact test which acknowledged that small organisations would probably not be able to satisfy the minimum threshold and would need to approach other organisations in order to obtain checks on their employees and incur the associated costs. However, in some cases it was concluded that the costs of using such an organisation would be lower than the administrative costs of running and maintaining a small volume registered body. No race related issues were identified during the consultation.
	The changes arose from a key recommendation of the 2002 independent review of the CRB and were supported by the recent Bichard inquiry that recommended reducing the number of registered bodies from over 14,000 that existed at the time. It also follows the CRB's own research that revealed that up to a third of registered bodies were not fully complying with the guidance and the code of practice and explanatory guide issued by the CRB which is a condition of registration. One of the areas of weakness was in completing the requisite identity checks on applicants.
	The intention is to make the registered body network more professional and more experienced in the disclosure process which will allow the CRB to ensure that the network of users is proficient in the security and policies of the CRB. Setting an annual threshold is a key part of the CRB's strategy to enhance the effectiveness of, and improve standards within the registered body network.
	The CRB will provide advice, guidance and support to organisations on the options available to access the disclosure service before their registration is cancelled due to low-volume.
	The CRB has written to some 2,800 organisations to inform them that they are to become deregistered. These organisations have submitted 10 or fewer applications in the last 12 months.

Taxis

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent by his Department on taxi travel in the 2005-06 financial year; and what proportion of such travel was undertaken in each nation and region of the UK, including London.

Liam Byrne: The recorded total cost of taxi travel in the 2005-06 financial year in the Home Department was 806,000.
	To obtain the proportion of such travel as undertaken in each nation and region of the UK, including London, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.